David Lynn Krieger was known to his friends and family as “Krockett.” Krockett loved all animals. He loved them so much that he gave his life to protect a dog.

Earlier this month, 53-year-old Krockett witnessed a man beating a dog in a local parking lot. Some people would walk away from that because they don’t know what to do or they are afraid for their own safety. Not Krockett. Nothing mattered to him but saving that dog—a dog he did not even know.

Krockett and his wife Ashlie had two dogs of their own, a golden Labrador named Trout and a Labrador Terrier mix named Sophie. Both dogs are rescues and both dogs will spend the rest of their lives without their dad.

He was probably thinking of Trout and Sophie when he saw Roy Thompson brutally kicking a dog. And he was probably thinking of them, and the sacred lives of all dogs, when he confronted the man. He was most certainly thinking of his dogs, his son, his grandchildren, his wife, and all of his loved ones when Roy turned to him and fatally shot him, twice.

Christine Wilke, a family friend, shared this message with us:

In the wake of this tragedy we are all left to try to make sense of why such a wonderful man, who was an asset to society and made the world a better place, was taken from us so soon. We’ve decided that the only thing that makes sense is that God had a job opening as the “Keeper of the Rainbow Bridge.” He has one now—the absolute BEST man for the job.

Christine also told us that helping dogs in need was simply part of who Krockett was. She said:

I received more than one phone call from him over the years saying “Chrissy, I just passed a dog running loose can you come and help me try to catch it?”

The dog that Krockett gave his life to save survived the ordeal and his assailant is currently in jail awaiting trial. Christine has set up a GoFundMe to help the hero’s family cover funeral costs.

There aren’t enough words to express how heroic Krockett’s sacrifice was or who he was as a person… but then, perhaps no words are needed to describe someone so selfless. His actions are proof enough that David “Krockett” Krieger was one of the best men to ever live.

featured image via David “Krockett” Krieger Memorial/Facebook