In an attempt to protect his family and other children from being attacked by a rabid fox, a 5-year-old boy from Kingstown, a town about 50 miles west of Charlotte, pinned the animal to the ground before his stepfather could step in.

Rayshun McDowell, who fought with the animal in the front yard of his home Sunday during a family cookout, said he took the extreme step as he wanted to protect his younger brother.

During the entire fight, the fox also bit Rayshun in the leg as the 61-pound-boy held the rabid animal to the ground by the neck while pushing it into the ground.

According to AP reports, Rayshun's stepfather, Ryan Thompson, who wore a cast because of a broken leg, intervened by using a stick and his crutch to beat the fox to death.

The brave kid is now undergoing treatment for rabies, as is a 6-year-old girl who was also attacked by a fox earlier the same day at her home nearby.