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Black bear and growling husky
Most dog owners like to think their pet will step up to defend them in a dangerous situation, but there’s really no way to know if that will be the case until one unfolds. One family in Connecticut recently encountered one when a bear made its way through the front yard of their home while a kid was playing outside, and their husky will be getting a juicy steak after stepping in to ward it off.
Statistically speaking, bears are pretty low on the list of wild animals that pose a serious threat to humans. There are typically only a couple of fatal attacks per year in the United States, and they’re usually more than happy to mind their own business or straight up run away after crossing paths with a person.
With that said, most people aren’t going to be thrilled to come face-to-face with one, and that’s especially true in situations involving kids who are firmly less equipped to scare them away and defend themselves from a potential attack.
You have to imagine a father in Connecticut recently experienced a major adrenaline rush when he saw a bear charging through his yard while his son was hanging out in the driveway, but he didn’t have to intervene after his dog sprang into action.
Video captured a husky warding off a bear that was charging toward a kid in Connecticut
Wildlife experts believe there are between 1,000 and 1,200 black bears in Connecticut, and the bulk of reported sightings are clustered in the northwest part of the state.
That is where the town of Torrington is located, and according to WTNH, that was the site of a fairly unnerving encounter that recently transpired outside the home of Jeff Tazzara, who shared footage of what went down with the outlet.
The brief clip captured Tazzara’s son playing in the driveway before he turned to flee into the garage after spotting a small bear (which appeared to be a yearling) running across the pavement. It didn’t look like the animal was actively going after him, but the family’s husky quickly intervened to ensure that wouldn’t be the case while chasing it off the property.
Tazzara told a reporter the dog is usually somewhat defensive of his family around strangers, but he noted he wasn’t sure how she’d react in this kind of situation. However, he said she’ll “probably get a t-bone or something like that” after getting his answer.
This isn’t the only time a dog in Connecticut has helped ward off a bear in the past few weeks, as a bulldog in a town around 15 miles south of Tazzara’s home was credited with going after one that attacked a pet goat.