Macy weighs about six pounds. On a Tuesday morning in Toronto, that was all that stood between a coyote and the 10-year-old girl holding her leash.

Lily Kwan and her 6-year-old Yorkie had walked the same neighborhood streets hundreds of times. The sun was just beginning to warm the pavement. Nothing about the morning suggested it would be different, until something moved near a mailbox.

A Familiar Walk Interrupted at a Mailbox

Lily saw the animal first. It was a coyote, large and lean, and it looked aggressive. Within a second or two, it had locked eyes with her.

She had reason to be afraid. She remembered warnings on social media about a coyote chasing children in the area, and she understood that she and Macy were now in its path.

Video: Macy Faces a Charging Coyote on Camera

Running for a Door While Macy Held Her Ground

The coyote did not hold back. It moved toward them quickly, and Lily began to scream for help. She ran down the street, trying doorbells and knocking on doors, hoping someone would open one.

Macy did not run with her. The little dog planted her feet and turned toward the coyote, a wild animal several times her size. Lily dropped the leash and went on alone in search of safety.

“I just saw this coyote trying to attack my dog,” Lily recalled. “I tried to ring on people’s doorbells and knock on people’s doors… but I had to leave her there to save myself.”

Six Pounds Between a Predator and a Child

Lily eventually found refuge in a neighbor’s home. From there, she looked back at the street.

Home security footage recorded what happened next. Macy was barking and snapping, positioned between the coyote and the girl she had been walking with. She did not retreat.

The coyote attacked her anyway. It bit her repeatedly on the torso and legs, and at one point her small body was nearly engulfed in its jaws. Even so, Macy kept fighting with what the family describes as feisty determination, and the coyote never secured a fatal hold. That bought Lily the time she needed to get inside. Then a neighbor heard the commotion and chased the coyote away.

Nobody can say what Macy understood in those moments. What the footage shows is a very small dog turning toward danger while a child got away.

Intensive Care and a Week of Recovery

Macy was rushed to an intensive care unit in critical condition. Her wounds included eight to ten deep puncture marks across her spine and legs. She spent a week in surgery and recovery.

Her mother, Dorothy Kwan, faced medical bills the family had never planned for. She did not hesitate over the care Macy needed.

“My dog would do anything for our family,” Dorothy said. “She is our little hero.”

Video: Macy’s First Moments at Home After Leaving the ICU

Strangers Step In

As Macy’s story spread, people far beyond Toronto responded. A GoFundMe page set up to help with her care did more than reach its goal, drawing support from strangers who had been moved by the “lion-hearted” Yorkie.

Back on the Sidewalk

Macy is now home with the girl she protected. Her bandages are slowly coming off.

Lily and Macy still go for walks. The routine looks much the same, but the family sees it differently now. A dog who weighs less than a bag of sugar showed that size has little to do with courage, and Lily knows exactly what she did on a quiet Tuesday morning.