Leonard Miller, 88 was at his home in Canton, Ohio on Sunday when he heard a frantic knock at the front door.

To his surprise, he opened the door to his frightened 13-year-old neighbor.  In complete panic the girl told him that her little sister was being mauled by the family’s pit bull in their home.

As the Korean War veteran was following the little girl to her house, he grabbed a three-foot plastic nutcracker lawn ornament to use as a weapon to fend off the vicious dog.

Miller approached the pit bull who was on top of the 10-year-old girl, violently shaking and attacking her. He started to hit the pit bull on the back of the head with the nutcracker, but the dog would not release its grip from the girl’s arm. Eventually, she was able to wiggle free and go hide with her sister.

The Army Combat Medic turned to the dog thinking he himself would be its next victim, and shouted “NO!” a few times until it went away.  Miller then went to his home and called 911 before going back to treat the girl with his old combat medic skills.

Shortly after, paramedics arrived and took the girl to the hospital where she received surgery for the serious injuries she sustained to her arm. The Stark County Dog Warden deemed the pit bull “a vicious dog” and gave the family ten days to appeal, however, the family turned it over to the county, who then euthanized the animal.