In an attempt to protect her dog, an 80-year old woman shot and killed a mountain lion that was in her French Creek home.

Martha Smith tried to shoot the lion but missed the first time, forcing her to rush back to her house and dial 911.

Smith then went back outside with a .22-calibre rifle.

Aiming at the beast's chest, she pulled the trigger and killed the lion.

"I could see the tail switching and he was snarling and spittin'" said Smith, whose border collie had confronted the lion. "For Heaven's sakes, I thought, I'd have to shoot it."

The lion was described to have been about 6 months old, weighing in at less than 100 pounds, as estimated by Smith, a former anesthetist. Recalling, she described the lion's paws to have been "the biggest darned feet I'd ever seen, bigger than a man's head."

According to the Argus Leader, the old lady shot the cat right below the leg, where Smith said she knew the heart was located.

"You do what you have to do - you don't have time to be afraid," explained Smith.

An AP article on the incident added that Smith is planning on having the lion mounted. However, she is not certain if the carcass would be handed over to her by the state Department of Game, Fish & Parks.