Alaska woman confronted bear to save her dog during forest hike
An Alaska woman recounted how she managed to defend her dog after a bear attacked him during a mushroom-picking outing near Skilak Lake.
An Alaska resident who went out to collect mushrooms in a forest ended up facing a bear to rescue one of her dogs.
Lori Price, a resident of Cooper Landing, told KTUU that the incident occurred on Sunday while she was walking in an area near Skilak Lake accompanied by her dogs Willis and Chaos.
According to him, everything happened in a matter of seconds.
“I heard the moan and I heard the bear; I immediately understood what was happening,” he explained. “My reaction was: I have to get to my dog and I have to do it now.”
Price began repeatedly yelling Chaos' name in an attempt to drive the animal away.
Shot several times while trying to escape
When the screams had no effect, the woman pulled out a 9-millimeter pistol and shot the bear.
According to his story, the animal initially fell and believed that the threat was over.
Shortly after, Chaos reappeared covered in blood, although he was still alive.
The woman said she was relieved to see him move, but the situation changed again when she saw the bear begin to approach again.
Price claimed that he shot again on more than one occasion, although the animal continued to get up.
Given the risk, he decided to leave the place with his dogs without checking to see if the bear had finally died.
As they walked away, he said he saw the animal heading towards another area.
The dog was taken to a veterinary hospital and continues to recover.
During the trip to his vehicle, Price called 911 and alerted other people passing through the area about what happened.
He later indicated that he was advised to take Chaos immediately to a veterinarian due to the amount of blood he had lost.
The woman took the dog to the Kenai Veterinary hospital and then returned to the area of the incident to collaborate with authorities and personnel from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Later that night, Chaos was discharged from the hospital.
Price attributed his pet's initial recovery to the veterinary care he received.
Although the dog continues to recover, he has already regained the ability to walk.