The dog that attacked 6-year-old Cheyenne boy Bridger Walker has been euthanized, according to the Cheyenne Animal Shelter.

"At the dog owner's request, (we) provided humane end-of-life services to the dog," the shelter said in a statement Thursday.

News of the July 9 attack -- in which Bridger saved his little sister's life by standing between her and the charging dog -- went viral after Bridger's aunt, Nikki Walker, shared his story on Instagram.

 

 

 

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Hey, all. Please, share my nephew’s story so that it gets as much exposure as it can. We know that our little hero would love some words of encouragement from his favorite heroes. On July 9th, my six year old nephew Bridger saved his little sister’s life by standing between her and a charging dog. After getting bit several times on the face and head, he grabbed his sister’s hand and ran with her to keep her safe. He later said, “If someone had to die, I thought it should be me.” After receiving 90 stitches (give or take) from a skilled plastic surgeon, he’s finally resting at home. We love our brave boy and want all the other superheroes to know about this latest hero who joined their ranks. @tomholland2013 @chrishemsworth @robertdowneyjr @markruffalo @prattprattpratt @twhiddleston @chadwickboseman @vindiesel @chrisevans EDIT: I just finished visiting with Bridger at his home. His wounds are looking so much better! He’s in great spirits, and his awesome personality is intact. He can’t smile too widely yet, but he was grinning as I read some of your comments to him. I’d also like to mention here that the dog’s owners are really great people who have been nothing but kind to Bridger and his family. We feel no resentment toward them at all, and—if anything—there’s only been an increase of love between our families as a result of this incident. EDIT 2: Once again we’re blown away by the amazing comments and messages that Bridger’s receiving. I’ve had lots of inquiries about a GoFundMe. Bridger’s family has asked that any one wishing to help out financially can, instead, donate to @mission_22 or @wwp. Bridger is also a huge fan of Science, especially Geology. So I’m going to start a post where people can share with him pictures of cool rocks that they see. EDIT 3: Once again, everyone’s kindness has meant so much to us. I’m trying to get to all of the messages that I can, but it may take some time. For those who have inquired about sending Bridger some rocks, here’s the address to use: Bridger Walker P.O. Box 22141 Cheyenne, WY 82003 #BridgerStrong

 

A post shared by Nikki Walker (@nicolenoelwalker) on

"After getting bit several times on the face and head, he grabbed his sister’s hand and ran with her to keep her safe," Nikki wrote. "He later said, 'If someone had to die, I thought it should be me.'"

"I’d also like to mention here that the dog’s owners are really great people who have been nothing but kind to Bridger and his family," Nikki added. "We feel no resentment toward them at all, and—if anything—there’s only been an increase of love between our families as a result of this incident."

"It is always both terrifying and sad when these situations occur," said Sue Castaneda, CEO of the Cheyenne Animal Shelter. "Our hearts go out to the boy and his family as well as to the pet owners."

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