This story took over social media Wednesday night, both for how incredible it is and because of the reaction to it. One of the nice parts of this story is that there really aren’t any bad guys, despite the fact that there are some very tragic elements. The story involves the Walker family who make up dad Robert, mom Teila, son Bridger, six, his little sister (name withheld), four, and Aunt Nicole. The family has posted the full story of what transpired July 9th here but to briefly summarize, Bridger and his sister were visiting friends and as the children were in the backyard, the friend’s family’s one-year-old German Shepard mix charged at Bridger’s sister.Bridger jumped in the dog’s path to shield her. Bridger kept changing course so the dog could not get to his sister. Unfortunately, the dog lunged at Bridger, biting his face and causing extensive damage that required 90 stitches. Bridger, who’d shouted at his sister to run to safety while the dog was biting him, ran to his sister afterwards to make sure she was okay. When Bridger was asked why he jumped in the way, his response was, “if someone had to die, I thought it should be me.”
Bridger’s aunt, Nicole Walker, posted the Instagram above with Bridger’s story over the weekend. In the hope of cheering him up, Nicole tagged some famous ‘superheroes’ to read his story. Among those who have reached out so far, either publicly or privately, are Anne Catwoman Hathaway, Hugh Wolverine Jackman, Zachary Shazam Levi, Tom Spider Man Holland, Brie Captain Marvel Larson, The Russo Avenging Directors Brothers, Robbie Firestorm Amell, Mark The Hulk Ruffalo, Winston M’Baku Duke and Chris Thor Hemsworth (who invited him to join the Avengers. Bridger has a dog named Thor). And those are just the “superheroes.” Beats by Dre reached out for an address to send some Get Well gifts. Octavia Spencer commented along with Justin Baldoni and Mike The Situation Sorrentino. Chris Captain America Evans sent Bridger a video message, calling him a selfless hero. Chris was so overwhelmed by Bridger’s bravery, he’s sending him an “authentic Captain America shield because pal, you deserve it.”
The video, as you can see, is a split screen that shows Bridger and his sister’s reaction both during and after the message. Can I just say that I fell even more in love with Chris for never identifying himself beyond Captain America. I love how these guys get what they mean to their fans.
The Walker Family is not in need or requesting any financial assistance for themselves and does not endorse anyone who is raising funds in their family’s name. If someone wishes to make a donation in Bridger’s name, they request donations be made to Mission 22, Operation Underground Railroad or The Wounded Warrior Project. The Walkers have also publicly acknowledged their gratitude for the dog’s family for the care and love they gave Bridger during the very scary moments following the attack.
Like I said, a scary but inspiring story all around.
Nice!
Cute kids.
It’s really weird, I read the story and watched the Instagram video and then some onion ninjas got into my house….
Those ninjas are everywhere! My house too!
They are over here, too. Lots of them!
LOL! They’re up here in Canada too! Those pesky ninjas!
why, me, too…those ninja suckers are everywhere…I think I’m weeping for courage, the leadership this little boy showed in defending someone smaller and more vulnerable than himself and the hope his actions have given me that not all is lost in this world.
Some days I do feel not just hopeless, but helpless. Little Bridger reminds me it’s in the every day our heroism becomes evident, not just in the big events, but in our backyards too.
Damn those onion ninjas! I’m a mess! Thank you, little boy, for having big boy courage and a Huge heart. Thank you, Mum & Dad for raising your kids to care for those not able to defend themselves.
Be well, Bridger, you brave, sweet superhero
Omg this made me cry 😭 he reminds me of my son with his interests and courage. I’ll be sending him a little something! Way to go Cap 🥺😭❤️
Wow, what a brave & selfless little boy! Not to mention very lucky that he wasn’t injured more than he was or killed. Incredible! Such a cute video with Captain America, he truly deserves to be celebrated. He seems to have such an unbreakable spirit and I wish him a speedy recovery.
It is very heartwarming story, but no child should feel that “If someone was going to die, I thought it should be me.” Really not okay.
Actually I think it was beautiful and brave. He was willing to sacrifice himself to save his baby sister.
Totally agree. That came from his heart and was pure selfless love.
He was using the language of a six year old to articulate the protectiveness most of us have towards our younger siblings, particularly in childhood.
Exactly.
dY’know @Elle…I had those thoughts for a moment too. But there’s no getting around the fact that our children today are less innocent that our children of yesterday. There is no way to keep them wrapped in cotton batten, to keep them innocent. Examples: say he was going to Sunday School, he’d have learned about Jesus’s bravery already in sacrificing himself, or David’s willingness to sacrifice himself against Goliath. If he watches Sesame Street, he’ll learn about protecting those who cannot protect themselves. So that was HIS thought that resulted in HIS actions….in the language of a six year old kid. Yes, he probably doesn’t understand the full import of his words in the same manner we, as adults do. Nevertheless, his actions needs must be considered to speak louder than his words. And his actions make him a hero in this world where many (most?) actions are based on “what’s in it for me” This is my opinion…. thanks for listening!
Prayer Warrior I see your point. Children do not have the shame representations and reference points as adults. To me it sounded completely different. Thank you for sharing!
“Really not okay?” He was expressing that he was willing to sacrifice his own life for someone he loved. That’s not only okay, it’s the pinnacle of human empathy.
What a brave little boy. As an older sibling I get how protective you can feel towards a younger sibling. When my brother was little my first instinct was always to protect him. I used to threaten bullies who bothered him.
And Chris Evans continues to prove he is the best Chris.
False! Chris Pine is the best Chris.
Good on the little boy for protecting his sister!
Chris Pine is definitely the best Chris!
He is absolutely the Best Chris. So sweet and all of Bridger’s family is amazing!
Amazing kid and best chris (i love the latest updates about dodger too)
Dodger is having hip surgery next week.
Sorry…just saw this…so much better articulated than my own comment made several hours after yours lol
White Hollywood Chris’ official ranking:
1) Chris Evans
2) Chris Pine
3) Chris Hemsworth
4) Chris Messina
999,999,999) Chris Pratt
What the heck was wrong with that dog, precisely? Is “German Shepherd Mix” the new code for “pit bull mix”? What could the little girl have been doing that would cause it to lunge like that, by which I mean “there’s not much a little kid could have been doing that should have triggered a dog to attack.”
my thoughts too.
Whatever She was doing, there is no excuse for the behaviour of the dog. Unfortunately, he will probably suffer because of incompetence and ignorance of his owners. Shame on them.
And yes, I firmly believe that, if you have a dog, your responsibility is to be aware where he is and what he’s doing-in any moment.
German shepherd is a shepherd, working dog-and pretty aggressive if not treated/groomed right. My husband’s family bred them for a while and they stopped because most of the potential owners didn’t understand that it’s not just a beautiful dog, but a guardian you have to have control over, raise him right, run with him every day and have experience with those kind of dogs.
We got a lab from the pound and everything was uneventful for 8 months so we brought him to family Christmas thinking he was fine with kids. My nephew just walked by and the dog just lunged at him and got his 2 year old little hand on Christmas morning and he needed stitches.
The dog might probably has some history with children being very rough with it without parental supervision and may be terrified of little people so it was fight or flight in a fenced yard.
This is why parents should not go get a puppy unless they’re prepared to treat it like another child and ensure they have time to put in the work.
Dogs are animals that need to be trained, but even when they are trained, they can be unpredictable. The girl might not have done anything. The dog may have just not liked her scent or the sounds she was making. It may just not have liked her in it’s territory. GSDs and their mixes are known to be pretty territorial and overprotective. There likely wasn’t anything wrong with the dog, it just need to be monitored more.
They put the dog down, which really irritates me. It was a puppy, obviously not trained. I don’t think it was the kids fault, obviously, but the owners for allowing their new puppy around kids before it was trained. It’s just such a lazy solution.
@allz-
From what I’ve researched, the puppy was a rescue and was being fostered whily waiting for a home. The dog attacked the kids with no provocation- the kids merely went into the backyard with the owner’s permission. It was perceived as best for the family, the other pets and neighbors that the dog be put down.
Whether or not we agree, it was a tough decision and Bridger’s family has asked that we be kind to the dog family since they’re having a tough time as well. Bridger’s family seems like a class act.
Allz, I understand your feelings, but sometimes euthanasia is the compassionate option. Despite what many rescues and shelters want people to believe, love, training, and stability do not cure all issues a dog may have. We do not know this dog’s full history or exactly what interventions the owners tried. The dog may have had a history of uncontrollable and unpredictable aggression. Their homeowners insurance may have threatened to increase their premium or cancel their coverage completely. As sad as it is to put down a young dog, I will not judge them for making this choice.
My brother has a GS mix, and from the time it was a puppy (despite tons of training) he is fearful/aggressive. He likes my brother and parents only. The rest of us are dog people, but the dog has always had to be closely monitored, on a leash or in a separate area if we are there. Once I was petting him and he suddenly jumped up and bit at my stomach-thankfully he was muzzled and I still ended up with a big bruise from the bite. I have given him wide berth ever since.
When dogs are outside they like to play just like the kids and things happen. I have a cane Corso and a Rottweiler that we have had since they were both 6 weeks old. Well trained, no incidents, 3 kids in the house but I would still not let my dogs run freely in the backyard with kids that are not “their” kids. I love my dogs dearly and don’t want to lose them over a moment where something could go wrong. You have to be vigilant when you own large breeds like that
@Allz, I know it is heartbreaking but it is actually difficult to go through the trauma/psyche of what rescue dogs have been through and are feeling.
I remember an incident when I was a child with my babysitter who looked after groups of kids. One year, she adopted a sheepdog from the pound. Her sheepdog was lovely and all the kids loved her and she was gentle and very calm and played very well with us. One day, my babysitter’s daughter (also a babysitter) brought round the kids that she looked after. The sheepdog was completely fine until it noticed one of the little girls there and tried to attack her. Luckily the adults managed to intervene. The working theory was that the previous family had a daughter who strongly resembled the little girl and may have mistreated the dog, and the otherwise calm dog was triggered when it saw her. The next day, my babysitter returned the dog to the pound with the explicit instruction that it should never be around any children and has since found a home with an elderly couple who had no kids/grandkids.
Moral of the story – rescue dogs who have been mistreated have very particular needs and complex emotions; much like with humans, abuse can leave permanent damage that may never heal, but dogs do not have the emotional capacity to pick apart these feelings and heal. A dog which has shown it is prone to attacking any child would also be near impossible to place with a forever home so it is kinder they are put down.
My aunt has a friend with an adult German Shepherd. It killed the neighbor’s small dog, and a few months later it tore into a boxspring and killed the family cat that had crawled into the boxspring for safety. They refused to do anything with the dog. They have small children, too. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing my failure to train my dog led to other animals suffering. Plus who knows what else will happen going forward…
100% agree. This irritates me so much that the first reaction is to put the dog down. This was a puppy that was rescued, who knows the environment the puppy come from. A dog will not just attack you unprovoked. Something caused the dog to feel threatened, and probably gave out many warning signs. Where were the adults to watch the kids? Where were the owners of the dog to see if the dog was irritated? Animals will be animals and do what their instincts tell them. Now a 1 year old dog that was rescued has been euthanized because other adults were careless
German Shepherds are the breed are responsible for most of the bite attacks in Germany. They are overbred, mostly in pain and very nervous dogs. Also, dogs do not see children as superior but merely on their own level at most. This is something which has to be considered when having kids and dogs on the same property.
Small children and dogs actually aren’t a great natural mix. Little kids do precisely the things that dogs perceive as threatening. They are often eye height and look directly in the dog’s eyes; they smile which can be perceived as baring their teeth; and they often approach dogs front on at eye level. You should never leave even a well-trained dog unsupervised with small children. Both kids and dogs need to be taught how to interact safely together. Large breeds in particular should always be monitored because a ‘playful nip’ to the face could disfigure a child for life or kill them. Even dogs that have been raised around kids and are used to them and generally don’t react to anything should be monitored with little kids because at the end of the day they are animals with instincts and if they snap once… Well, it’s not worth it.
I have a friend who is a dog trainer and she regularly comments on “cute” toddler and dog videos exasperated because the adult isn’t doing anything to stop bad habits and behaviour from a toddler towards a dog. Humans marvel at the dog’s patience and think it’s cute; but as she points out, if the dog reacts even once, it’s likely a death sentence for it. Better to discourage bad habits and teach kids to pet and approach dogs properly.
This dog may have been provoked, it may have felt threatened by standard little kid behaviour, it may have just attacked out of the blue. Who knows. The lesson to learn is don’t ever leave your small children unsupervised with large dogs – especially dogs that aren’t your own.
Well, shepherd dogs see humans as their “flock”, that’s why you don’t let someone else’s children near them unsupervised. It’s not just their territory, they are protective of their owners too. The dog very likely gave warning signs before the attack but no one paid attention.
I worked in a shelter for years. Pit mixes were some of the sweetest dogs I ever met. Many were 60+ lbs and thought they were lapdogs. Any dog can be dangerous….most of my bites were courtesy of chihuahuas. Some dogs are not meant to be around small kids. If a dog bites, it is not the dog’s fault. Small kids shouldn’t be left alone with a dog, especially a dog that they don’t know and doesn’t know them. In my experience, German Shepherds and Huskies were the dogs brought in to the shelter most often due to biting a child. People have to remember that no matter how well-trained a dog may be, it’s still an animal. And again, please don’t leave your small child alone with a dog. Where were the adults? This little boy should have never been placed in this situation.
Agree! My ex had 2 pitbulls and they were the sweetest dogs. A lot of the pitbulls behavior is the way they’ve been trained. Many people know they’re strong and train them to attack. My ex’s dogs ate better than a lot of humans, he walked them twice a day and had a chain link fence around his yard. One even slept in his bed. Lol
My dog is a Pitt mix and while he is an awesome dog, he is intensely protective of my kids and me. We got him when he was 7 weeks old and my kids slept with him on the couch in the living room for his first summer so they could house train him and he seems to think that they are part of his litter. We’ve never had an issue with him, but I know he would maim anyone who tried to hurt my family. While I appreciate that and feel safer when he’s around, I also don’t take anything for granted. NO ONE bothers him when he eats and I am very cautious when other kids are around him. Even the best dogs are still animals and need to be treated with a healthy respect.
My dad had a dog that would snap at others with no provocation. They refused to acknowledge that he was dangerous and one day, he lunged at my stepsister and bit her. He narrowly missed her eye and she has a scar now.
Everyone says pit bulls and mixes are the sweetest dogs ever. Right up until they’re not. They account for most of the fatal attacks. More often than not when I see pit bulls out on walks, they’re taking their owners for a walk rather than vice versa, and I understand that shows that the dog thinks it’s in charge. I think people really over sell the “pit bulls are the sweetest dogs ever!” line a bit.
And while chihuahuas and other small dogs bite more, I never heard of them doing any serious damage, let alone killing anyone. Pit bulls have very, very strong jaws. I know that locking thing is a myth, but I also know that they don’t let go until they want to.
@Betsy ~ Oh, NO, no, no…this is NOT the dog’s fault. The dog is/was (?) a puppy (1 yr). The child could have squealed excitedly and puppy rushed over to investigate, The puppy would have been much bigger than the child, and oh, I could go on and on about what might have/could have/ should have/ happened, but didn’t. Children and animals just do not mix without direct, involved adult supervision. It’s a horrific thing that happened, but PLEASE do not speculate so negatively. There is no compassion in a comment like that, only condescension and condemnation. Not cool.
Who’s speculating “negatively”? Why are *you* assuming there was no direct, involved adult supervision? It sounds like she was nowhere near the dog and it lunged for her. Sorry. That’s the dog’s fault.
What kind of condensention?
The fact is, there are aggressive breeds. German Shepard has been bred for
Centuries just for looks and image, resulting in bad anatomy, bad hips and-life in pain, which brings out nervousness. Those are facts.
Then you have owners, majority of them ing or at and irresponsible.
Yes, the dog is definetely not at fault-the owners are!
But there is no room for claiming “the child must have provoked him” and similar, because children are innocent in all of this-first, and second-you’re victim blaming.
What an amazing kid. And such a nice gesture from the “superhero celebrities.”
I have this really cool rock that my boss gave me that she brought back from some tropical island. It’s white with these coral colored bumps and is always cool to the touch no matter what temperature the room is. I think I’ll send it to him. What a brave kid!
What a great idea!
Aw, I cried at this! That boy, what a brave shiny star.
Looking at the way people respond to pandemic doesn’t give one confidence on the mass ability of people to handle a potentially dangerous dog! Yikes
I’ve had a dog bite that wasn’t a fraction this serious, and I have to say that it hurt. It hurt when it happened and ached for weeks, but the worst part was how frightening it was. This big brother is definitely a super hero!
I cried watching the Chris Evans video. I guess it’s just really nice to see some kindness and positivity in the world right now. What an incredibly brave big brother. I’m so happy he’s getting the attention he deserves for such a heroic act, and celebrities that pose as their characters to make kids happy absolutely make my heart melt.
My heart breaks that the little boy felt that if anyone should die it was him. He is so brave for helping his sister.
On the surface that sounds incredibly selfless, but I worry about what the ramifications are. He is valuable too!
This may be a reach, but I’ve noticed that same kinda heroic-yet-morbid talk from my own young elementary school children, and in our case it’s connected to the ALICE (school shooter) drills at school. I understand the need for them and support something that will keep my kid alive, but there has to be some kind of lasting emotional issues on a generation of kids that start training for attacks in preK.
Maybe that’s not the case and Bridger is just naturally like that and/or he just watches a lot of superhero shows. But I’ve seen in my own house and have seen news/social media accounts about other much too young children making martyr like statements after a drill or scare at school.
Thank you for speaking about the ALICE drills. We don’t have those in Canada and I was confused with his wording as I had never heard a child say something like that. My heart hurts for every child doing those drills. I can’t imagine what those poor kids mental health is like having to know about that type of evil in pre-k
Now I need to go wipe my tears, darn those onion ninjas, and hug my boys really tight.
I don’t think it means he doesn’t regard his own life as valuable. Just that he’s willing to sacrifice himself for others. This used to be universally acknowledged as the noblest and purest quality a person could possess. It’s disappointing that we’re now confusing it with low self esteem, which is certainly not what inspires people like this little boy to do courageous things.
Yup. I was attacked by my neighbor’s dog when I was 10 and I wasn’t touching or playing with the dog at all. I was standing there minding my own business talking with my friend and the dog came beside me, starting growling, and tried to bite my face. It was a Golden Retriever mix, which I don’t think are known to be aggressive. I ran off to get away from him because I was scared and I didn’t know what else to do, but he chased after me, obviously, and ended up biting the back of my upper arm. The family had no idea what to do while it was happening and didn’t help at all… which was even scarier for me at the time. Their garage door was open so I was able to run in there and run into the house for safety. Dogs can be unpredictable for sure.
I can’t stand people who just stand like idiots when their dogs are being aggressive, if you get bitten when dealing with them then tough, better you than someone else, because you should have dealt with that problem before it arose. Everything your dog does is your responsibility. My dog is lovely, but she is a little nervous around children, She has never snapped at anyone, but with kids she needs an escape route and it is my responsibility to know that and make sure she has that option, If she were ever to bite someone or another dog and it is unprovoked then she will never leave the house again without a muzzle and if people come to the house she will be put in the garden. Is this stuff really that hard?
This isn’t the first time he’s sent a video message to some child. And it only comes out if the family releases it. And the MCU actors really do love to interact with people as their characters like you mentioned. One of the many reasons he’s my favorite Chris. And I don’t say things about him because I’m a stan, rather they’re the reasons *why* I’m a fan.
What a good heart this kid has. Is their any any sister luckier than her to have him as a brother?
I love that Chris Evans is acting as Captain America in this video. He isn’t being himself, Chris Evans speaking to a young kid, he’s in Cap mode, using his Cap voice and mannerisms. That was a great choice, to make himself recognizable and familiar to Bridger, and also to convey that this is one hero speaking to another. Really moving.
Awwwww. I miss my little superheroes in all their muscular costumes. Way to go padawan. Now and forevermore, you are a man of the people.
I have a Corgi puppy, an old Shepherd wolf dog and two Shepherd mix teenagers from an animal rescue…I don’t let any kids come in around them because they can go wild around strangers in a playful manner that could easily get out of hand. And the old Shepherd is not used to kids at all. It’s best to err on the side of caution with dogs and strangers.
Those kids are so cute! I hope his scarring is minimal. He seems a little shy and I would hate for a big scar to make him feel more self conscious
I don’t know what I am more in love with more #1 Hollywood Forever Chris or how intently the little boy watched the video. Or how his sister watched him watch the video. It’s clearly a well loved family and that kid is amazing. Crap the onion ninjas are here!
I’m crying. What a hero!
How very brave of that little boy! That said, I can’t be the only person who wishes there was a different pic being used of the brother and sister (the first pic in this series) I’m sure the little girl is darling, but that picture actually terrifies me :/
Every time I see this story I think where the flip were the adults???