Torrington, Connecticut – A Connecticut family dog became a hero after she jumped into the fray when a black bear charged at a little boy. The whole dramatic event was caught on camera!
The bear charged at the child in front of Jeffrey Tazzara’s house over the weekend.
Tazzara's security camera captured the whole incident and he posted the wild footage on Facebook.
His video shows a little boy – Tazzara's son – standing in the family's driveway when a black bear suddenly charges.
As the child steps back in fright, the family dog Bella rushes in to intervene.
The husky-mix puts herself between the bear and the boy, and barks before chasing the bear.
Bella's barks shake the bear, who slinks under the boat parked in the driveway and then flees.
Tazzara told ABC he was getting ready to go to a Fourth of July party when he heard his dog’s unusually aggressive bark.
"A vicious bark, not like she barks and yips and howls and stuff ... this was a different kind of bark," he explained.
When he looked outside, he saw Bella already chasing away the bear. According to him, she even bit the animal’s behind.
Bear encounters are becoming more common in Connecticut
Tazzara’ is thrilled with his dog's heroic actions and is planning to reward her handsomely. At the next family steak night, the four‑legged hero will be getting her very own large stake as a thank-you!
In Connecticut, the number of black bears has been rising for years, making such frightening encounters increasingly common.
Wildlife authorities say that you should not feed or lure bears, keep a safe distance from any that you encounter, and report sightings to the relevant authorities.