An 11-year-old British Columbia boy is calling his Golden Retriever his guardian angel after the dog saved him from a would-be cougar attack while he was gathering firewood in his backyard.

The dog, ironically named Angel, reportedly began acting strangely and followed the boy to and from his woodshed before suddenly running toward the boy and jumping into the path of a cougar that was charging toward him.

The dog fought the cougar for a few minutes while the boy went inside and his mother called 911. A nearby mountie came to the house and shot the cougar, saving the dog, which suffered minor injuries throughout the ordeal.

“I feel very, very lucky. If it wasn’t for my dog, I don’t think I would be here,” the Boston Bar, B.C., boy told the CBC. “She was my best friend, but now she’s more than a best friend — she’s like my guardian now.”