Porter, Maine - A 64-year-old woman survived a black bear attack as she heroically fought off the wild animal to save her dog.

Lynn Kelly of Porter, Maine, said she was working in her garden when her dog ran into the woods. She told 7 News Boston that she then heard squeals and the pooch came running back – with a big black bear on its heels.

Kelly didn't hesitate to jump into action. With no regard for her own safety, she put herself between the wild animal and her pet and tried to scare the bear away.

"It just kept coming closer, so I had to fight him off because I wasn’t going to run from him because I know they’ll catch you," she said. "I tried to give him a punch."

"Kelly confronted the bear head on, and when the bear stood up, she stood up as tall as she could, then punched the bear in the nose," the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife wrote in a press release cited by CNN.

The bear retaliated by chomping on Lynn's wrist before retreating.

After it was out of sight, the woman called 911 and was taken to a local hospital to have her wounds treated. Her wrist needed stitches, but the dog was unharmed.

Wildlife officials said they have set two traps and hope to capture the bear. They urged residents in the area to keep their distance if they see a bear and not to get between their pets and the wild animals.

Maine has one of the largest black bear populations in the northeast, but attacks are rare occurrences, according to wildlife officials.