Georgia man fights off raccoon to save pet pug RoRo

WOODSTOCK, Ga. - Sean Yanes went to extremes to save his dog from a raccoon attack in his own Woodstock backyard.

Man fights raccoon to save his pug 'Roro'

What we know:

Sean Yanes was outside his Woodstock home with his pug, RoRo, when a raccoon charged the dog. The wild animal latched onto RoRo’s tail and began dragging her away. Yanes initially tried to kick the raccoon and strike it with a stick, but the animal remained attached to the dog's tail.

The struggle escalated into a "headlock roll" as Yanes and the animals tumbled down a hill. His wife, Ashley Yanes, heard RoRo’s high-pitched squeal and ran to assist. Sean Yanes reported punching the raccoon more than 10 times as hard as he could before eventually grabbing the animal by the scruff and squeezing its neck to force a release.

What we don't know:

It is currently unknown if the raccoon was rabid. It has not been seen since the encounter. 

What they're saying:

Sean says it was pure adrenalin as he fought the raccoon. "I'm just punching it. Like, I hit it 0-plus [times]. As hard as I could. And it wasn't budging."

Reflecting on the aftermath, Ashley Yanes said her first instinct was to "get them apart from each other, and hope to God nobody gets bit."

Now that RoRo is safe, the family is finding humor in the situation. "I think we earned some mutual respect that day," Sean Yanes said. "I don't think he's coming back, and I don't want no part of him either."

What's next:

RoRo was rushed to an emergency veterinarian and is expected to be fine despite an injured tail. Sean Yanes is currently undergoing a series of rabies shots as a precaution. His legs are scraped up from the battle and he has a sore back.