A family dog is being praised as a hero after springing into action to protect a young boy from a bear charging toward him outside his Connecticut home.
The frightening encounter happened recently in Torrington and was captured on video obtained by WTNH and Storyful.
The footage shows the bear racing up the family’s driveway toward the child, with the family’s husky running close behind. Just before the wild animal reaches the boy, the dog leaps onto the bear’s back and bites it, forcing the bear to change direction and move away from the child.
As the husky confronts the bear, the boy quickly runs out of the camera’s view to find safety. An adult can also be heard shouting in the background, adding to the effort to scare the animal away.
The video ends with the fearless dog continuing to chase the bear off the property.
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The dog’s owner, Jeff Tazzara, told WTNH that the husky had already shown strong protective instincts around his children, especially when strangers were nearby. Still, the family had never known exactly how she would react during a truly dangerous situation.
“[The dog] always puts herself in between strangers and the kids, but you always wonder in the back of your head, ‘What’s gonna happen if she needs to protect us?’ And now we know,” Tazzara said.
The grateful father said he planned to reward the loyal husky with one of her favorite treats: a T-bone steak.
Jason Hawley, a wildlife biologist with Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said the encounter had the best possible outcome under the circumstances.
“In that situation, the dog worked out perfectly,” Hawley told WTNH. “You know, it kind of made it an uncomfortable situation for the bear.”
However, Hawley warned that encounters involving dogs and bears do not always end as safely.
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that well, so we usually advise people to try to keep their dogs somewhat contained or keep an eye on them,” he added.
The National Park Service advises anyone who encounters a bear to remain calm and immediately pick up small children without screaming or making sudden loud noises. People should slowly wave their arms above their heads, speak firmly and tell the bear to back away or leave the area.
Officials also recommend carrying bear spray when visiting wooded or remote locations where bear encounters are more likely.