One fishing story proves that a man's best friend is truly his dog.
A 100-pound pitbull named Darby proved his loyalty after fighting off a shark that had sunk its teeth into his owner's ankle, according to NBC News.
James White was fishing on July 21 in a northern California bay when he felt a strong tug on the end on his line.
After a 10-minute struggle trying to reel in the catch, White was forced to drag the fish to shore.
That's when he realized his opponent was no ordinary fish - it was a six-foot long Sevengill shark.
When White went to set it free, the shark reportedly twisted, fell to the ground and sank its teeth into his ankle.
"Immediately there was blood everywhere, the first bite punctured an artery," he told NBC News. "The pressure was intense."
As hard as he could try, White couldn't shake off the shark's piercing grip.
He called out for help but no one heard him. Except for his faithful pal Darby.
The dog somehow managed to get out of the car and run to his owner's rescue.
White said Darby threw himself on the shark and bit its gills which made the shark's grip tighten even harder on his ankle.
"And I told him, 'No back off' and then (Darby) repositioned and grabbed it by the tail," recalled White. "He literally ran up the hill with it and pulled it off my leg."
White says he's eternally grateful for his dog's quick choice of action which in the end helped free the shark off his leg and back into the water.
"If it wasn't for him I would have been a lot worse," said White. "He's been a part of the family from day one. Just now a little more."
