Posted on 08/31/2011 1:58:38 PM PDT by null and void
JUNEAU, Alaska — Black bears in residential neighborhoods aren’t exactly unheard of in Juneau. While many people stay inside when bears are about, one local woman says she had a different instinct when she saw her dog was in trouble.
It started out as a typical evening for 22-year-old Brooke Collins. She let her dogs out as usual but this time, she said there was a black bear outside who took hold of her dachshund Fudge. She said she feared for her pet’s life and, in an instant, ran over and punched the bear right in the face to make it let go.
"It was all so fast. All I could think about was my dog was going to die," said Collins.
"It was a stupid thing but I couldn’t help it," she said. "I know you’re not supposed to do that but I didn’t want my dog to be killed."
Collins said she didn’t see the bear outside when she let the dogs out around 7:30 p.m. Sunday. She said Fudge just darted out and the barking could be heard almost instantly. She said that barking was "the most horrible sound in the world."
Collins said when she looked outside she saw a bear was crouching down with Fudge in its paws and was biting the back of the dog’s neck.
"That bear was carrying her like a salmon," she said. She said she almost instinctively went up and did the first thing she thought of. She punched the bear’s face and scooped away her dog when it let go.
It all happened too fast to really think about but she had flashes of hearing about how some animals will back off from a punch to the nose, she said.
She said her boyfriend Regan O’Toole came out upon hearing the screaming. O’Toole said the bear already looked startled from being punched at that point. He said the animal went down the driveway and into the bushes to the mountain as he ran toward it.
Her dog suffered some claw and bite marks but they weren’t deep so she said she decided not to take Fudge to the vet. She said the dog appeared to be more shocked than injured. She said she will get Fudge checked out if they appear infected.
Collins said she’s very close to her dogs, which is why she reacted this way. She said after this experience, however, she’ll keep a closer eye on them outside, as she fears an encounter with her other canine, a Pomeranian named Toki.
Collins lives in a neighborhood tucked up against Mount Juneau. She said black bear sightings are a regular occurrence there. She believes this same one has been around her house many times and is not afraid of people.
She said if this is that bear, it’s definitely used to people and keeps coming back and may even know what days the trash will be out. She said she’s even followed it to take pictures before.
O’Toole said he’s seen five bears in the area this year, including a sow with two cubs.
"We haven’t had any attacks over the years and they’re around all the time," he said.
Collins said one scary thing in hindsight was the bear’s size, which she said was very large even when it was crouching. O’Toole said it was definitely a large one.
Collins said the whole experience of a physical encounter shook her up, calling the whole thing an eye-opener. She said she’ll be taking a lot more caution from now on and definitely won’t be approaching neighborhood bears.
"It’s definitely changed my opinion because I never thought one would attack my dog," she said. "I wasn’t in my right mind at the moment but I would never think of doing it again."
I have re-read the series since I can't do much of anything else right now.
I did not.
” Here’s the best part, the two conversations were unrelated most of the time.
When they WERE related, they usually had some surreal bend to them. “
I know, and I miss em for that reason : )
Wait, you miss surreality?
I thought you lived there.
Oh, that’s right, you did leave California, didn’t you?
” Oh, that’s right, you did leave California, didn’t you?”
Yeah..... in October 06.....I hate to admit it, but I miss the ocean....the deep sea fishing(almost every other weekend.....the sailing in my boat....RATS!! Why did the lefties have to bankrupt the state, and pass huge tax increases. I was happy there!
R A T S !!
At least I feel closer to you now.
LOL!
” This month it’s “MY mom punches bears IN THE FACE!” territory.”
YOUR mom would have throttled my mom : )
I have also liked the word cowlick. There must be a small town some place named Cowlick. Probably in North Carolina.
What earthquake?
I was too busy trying to get another rental car - all 4 of our vehicles are dead. We live 10 miles from Redmond and the nearest park and ride. (sigh!) That’s not walking distance.
I just had steroid and analgesic shots in both my S1 nerve roots to try to calm things down so I don’t eat vicodin and flexeril every day. It’s a real drag , this osteoarthritis!
If you just have air conditioning, or a walk-in refrigerator, reptilian overlords wouldn’t last long. Turn the lights off, turn down the thermostat ...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2776109/posts
Nina0113 has died. I had no idea she was even ill. She was an occasional visitor to the UT, usually when there was discussion of books or catz.
I had a kid tell me ‘Your mom wears combat boots’ to which my response was to dramatically drop things and go:
“Oh God! He met my mom!”
Yeah, I got into trouble at school for that.
I thought there’d been prayer requested for her?
Can’t keep track of it anymore, too many FReepers etting sick and such lately.
Saw the thread, wasn’t sure if I should ping it out.
I hate being the bearer of sad news.
” “Oh God! He met my mom!””
LOL!
: )
Morning! Cooler nights here. 73F during the day. Fires are bad near here. Doubt they will get here though.
Schools have no sense of humor.
That insult does not work so well these days. You are likely to hear back, "So does my sister, want to see what she taught me?"
There is a Lick, Ohio and a Salt Lick Ohio, and Deer Lick Hollows in Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Illinois but no Cowlick.
Hmmm... maybe we should found a town!
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