An act of quick thinking on the part of a hiker may have prevented the death of her dog during a recent encounter with a bear.
On June 29, a hiker by the name of Kayleigh Roy was hiking along a trail in the vicinity of Talcott Mountain with her dog, Phoenix, who was a German shepherd mix and was ten years old. The incident took place in Connecticut.
It seems likely that Phoenix was not restrained at the time, as she raced ahead of the group into a clearing at one point during the trekking excursion. In the process of pursuing her dog, Roy discovered that it was interacting with two bear pups and a mother who was nearby.
According to the story, the mother bear quickly developed a protective attitude about her young, and she ran up to Phoenix and reached out with her jaws to seize the puppy. In spite of Phoenix’s best efforts to flee, the mother bear continued to transport Roy’s cherished animal companion farther into the forest.
Roy was then presented with the choice of either fighting or fleeing, and she decided to fight.
She reportedly raced up to the bear and struck it in the head with a hefty metal water bottle that she was carrying and that was only half full of water. By that time, the bear had already abandoned Phoenix and was making her way back into the forest, with her cubs following closely behind.
In spite of the brutal assault, Phoenix did not incur any internal puncture wounds and is expected to make a full recovery. Roy rushed her to emergency medical attention after she was seriously hurt. Furthermore, additional information regarding the case is provided on a GoFundMe website that Kayleigh Roy established in order to assist in covering the costs of Phoenix’s medical care. The page has already raised more than $17,000.
It would appear that Roy and Phoenix will finally have a happy conclusion to this story, which is a blessed development. In addition to that, it demonstrates an important lesson that pet owners in Colorado who are adventurous can also learn from.
In the case that Phoenix had been restrained on a leash, it is highly probable that this situation might have been avoided totally. It is nearly always the safest option to keep a pet on a leash, despite the fact that legislation regarding leashes might differ widely depending on where one is located.
It is possible for pets to be in danger in a state like Colorado because to the presence of defensive mother bears, as well as hazardous terrain and, of course, moose. It is possible that moose are the most terrifying animal when it comes to dogs that are allowed to roam free on routes. Moose have a tendency to regard dogs as a threat, and as a result, they can attack with unrelenting cruelty. In the past, moose have been responsible for the deaths of a great number of dogs that were kept as pets in Colorado, and this tragic truth will definitely continue to rear its head.
When going on a hike with your dog, the best course of action is to always keep them on a leash, regardless of whether or not there are restrictions on what may be brought into a particular region.
