An 8-year-old Michigan boy heroically saved his 6-year-old sister from a potentially fatal dog attack, according to their family.

Nicholas and Lillian were playing in their grandparents’ backyard in Saginaw when a pit bull from the neighbor’s property allegedly broke through the fence and entered the yard, their mother Rebecca Chitwood told Fox News Digital.

“They did not know the dog,” Chitwood explained, noting that the animal “had a history of escaping its property.”

The dog attacked Lillian, biting her on the face and neck, Fox reports.

“She has several bites on her neck that were 3 cm from severing the artery,” Chitwood detailed. “She also had her left eyelid repaired with several sutures and has extensive nerve damage in her face.”

Nicholas immediately intervened when he heard his sister’s screams.

“He jumped on the dog and pulled it off her, continuing to kick it until their grandpa arrived to help,” Chitwood said of her son. “He was just trying to save his sister.”

Lillian was transported to the University of Michigan Hospital and faces a lengthy recovery, her mother said. The family is seeking donations through their GoFundMe campaign titled “Support for Brave Little Girl’s Recovery Journey.”

“I’m so sad for my daughter. She’s afraid to look in the mirror, to start school for fear of bullying, and she’s now afraid of dogs,” Chitwood shared.

Chitwood emphasized the need for dog owners to “take accountability” and hopes her children’s experience serves as a warning for proper pet care.

“[A]nimal cruelty begins at home,” she stated.

Local news outlet WNEM reported that animal control euthanized the dog following the attack.