On June 30, a routine run near Haines Junction, Yukon, turned into a terrifying experience for Vanessa Chaput when she came face-to-face with three grizzly bears.

While walking her dog, Luna, Chaput found herself uncomfortably close to the bears. “I was right beside them, and it was way too close,” she shared in an interview with Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN).

Chaput tried to distance herself from the bears, but Luna broke free from her leash and managed to chase two of them away. However, the third bear charged directly at her.

“The bear knocked me down, and my head was in its mouth. My first thought was just to protect my vital organs, so I curled up into the fetal position,” Chaput told APTN.

An unexpected item became her saving grace—a small plastic hair clip. The clip snapped in the bear’s mouth, which seemed to startle it, giving Chaput a brief moment of relief. “My lifesaver came from Walmart,” she said, holding up the broken clip. She believes the break shocked the bear enough to let go.

She took cover behind a tree, but the bear charged again. Luna’s barking distracted the bear long enough for Chaput to make her escape. “If Luna hadn’t been barking, the bear would have finished the job,” she said.

Injured and covered in blood, Chaput managed to reach the highway, where she called 911 and her husband. She was rushed to the hospital and spent weeks recovering. Her right arm had puncture wounds, a broken bone, and nerve damage. “My tricep was also torn in two places,” she added.

Despite the ordeal, Chaput harbors no anger towards the bears, Luna, or herself. “I don’t blame the bears for what happened, nor do I blame my dog or myself. It was just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It could have happened to anyone,” she said.