A 14-year-old English Settler named Pete has died a hero - after saving his owner from a bear attack.

Pete and his owner Stephen Parisi were hiking through New Jersey’s Monkville Reservoir when a black bear spotted the intruders and attacked out of fear.

Facing the black bear head on, the brave pooch took it upon himself to rescue Parisi and the other dogs.

According to an Instagram post dedicated to Pete, Parisi and the other pups ran to safety where he then tied them to a tree to so he could return to Pete.

“Once I was sure they were safe, I went back and scared the bear off, but Pete was gravely injured,” Parisi and his wife, Cathi, wrote.

With the help of his wife, Parisi was able to get Pete to an animal hospital, where he “held on like a “trooper.”

But despite the fast response, Pete’s injuries were too severe.

“The x-rays revealed some pretty bad spinal damage that would mean he could never walk again, if he survived all the surgeries (not a certain thing at his age),” the couple wrote on Instagram, “We decided it was best to let him go this afternoon.”

Ending the heart-wrenching tribute, the couple wrote: “Run free Pete, you no longer have all those aches and pains of old age.

“You had a great 18 months with us running the days away like you loved.”

The couple then asked followers to “light a candle for Pete and remember that fostering and rescuing a dog can sometimes save you.”

In response to Pete’s story of bravery, there has been an outpouring of love and support - with over one million tributes posted to social media.

One animal-lover wrote: “What a good brave boy. Rest in peace Pete.”

Even earning a Twitter moment, Pete’s bravery has moved thousands of people.

But nothing will replace Pete, a sentiment his mum summed up on Facebook: "I want everyone to know that I would trade all of this attention to just have one more day with Pete."