A golden retriever fended off a potentially deadly cougar attack when the animal began approaching a boy in a small town in British Columbia.

On Sunday, as the dog recovered from a vicious fight with the cougar, Austin Forman, 11, recounted his dog's bravery.

Forman said that he was collecting firewood in his family's backyard in the community of Boston Bar, about 200 kilometres northeast of Vancouver, when he spotted the cougar in the woods nearby.

"I was really scared," he said. "At first I didn't know that it was a cougar ... But as soon as it went under the light, I saw that it was a cougar and I knew at that moment that I had to go inside."

The cougar then lunged at the young boy, but the dog, named Angel, leapt to protect her master.

"The dog obviously knew something was up because she ran towards me at just the right time and the cougar ended up getting her instead," said Austin.

Angel and the cougar fought in the family's yard, with the cougar clenching the dog's head in its jaws.

When Mother Sherri Forman heard the dog whining and making unusual noises, she knew something was up.

"We knew that cougar was killing our dog," she said, adding that the family quickly called 911 for help.

In less than a minute, RCMP Const. Chad Gravelle arrived to scene and found the dog locked in a vicious struggle.

"I could see that the cougar had the dog in its mouth, like around the dog's mouth," he said.

Gravelle then fired a round at the cougar's hindquarters and scored a direct hit, killing the wild animal.

Jay Forman, Austin's Dad, described the dog as a smart puppy that is only 18 months old.

"She's very smart -- just incredible," he said. "She's still a pup. It is truly amazing that she jumped in front of that cat to save the boy's life."

Meanwhile, the dog is recovering and is expected to pull through after a visit with a vet on Monday.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Jon Woodward and The Canadian Press