A California woman punched a mountain lion in an attempt to save her dog from an attack in her backyard, officials have said. The woman reportedly tried to pry the lion’s jaws open to save her miniature schnauzer on Thursday in the city of Simi Valley, but the dog died from its injuries. “She obviously cared about her dog very much, as all dog owners do,” Police Sgt. Keith Eisenhour said. “She tried to fend the animal off by punching it, elbowing it, and tried to pry its jaws open.” Police Commander Adam Darough told the Ventura County Star that responding officers saw the mountain lion attacking the dog, but it took off into the hills. The woman suffered a minor cut from the rescue attempt. Another dog was reportedly injured by a mountain lion in the same area late Wednesday.