A woman’s fast reaction may have saved her life and her dogs’ lives after a black bear attacked one of her pets during a mushroom-foraging trip in Alaska.
Lori Price was searching for mushrooms with her two dogs near Skilak Lake on the Kenai Peninsula on June 7 when the terrifying encounter happened, according to Alaska News Source.
“All of a sudden, I hear [a roar], and I was like, ‘Oh my god,’” Price told the outlet. “As soon as I heard the bear … I registered what was going on.”
Moments later, Price saw the bear attacking her German short-haired pointer, Chaos.
“My sudden reaction was, ‘I got to get to my dog now,’” she recalled. “I just full-blown start screaming, ‘Chaos, Chaos, Chaos’ … at the top of my lungs.”
Price was carrying a Glock 43 9mm pistol and fired at the bear, injuring the animal and stopping the attack.
“I pull my pistol, and I shot. Boom, down like a sack of potatoes goes the bear,” she told Alaska News Source. “And I was like, ‘Okay, good. Lights out.’”
But the terrifying moment was not over.
“I shot the bear a second time. Bear goes down … He seems like lights out. We’re good,” Price said. “All of a sudden, the bear gets up again. And I’m like, ‘Oh my God. What?’ So, I tried to shoot it a third time.”
After the third shot, Price ran away with her dogs while the bear moved off in the opposite direction.
She eventually stopped a passing driver and told them what had happened. Local police and an ambulance were called to the scene, according to the outlet.
Chaos suffered serious injuries in the attack, including heavy blood loss, gashes, scratches, and multiple bite marks.
“My heart broke,” Price said. “He had so many bite marks on him. It was like the bear thought he was like a little sardine.”
Chaos was rushed to a local veterinary clinic for treatment and has since recovered.
“Dr. Patrick called me from the veterinary clinic, and I owe him my dog’s life,” Price said. “We’re going through a lot of recovery with what’s happening. But, as far as broken bones, he is really lucky to be alive today.”
Price’s other dog, a chocolate Labrador named Willis, escaped the attack without injuries.
Authorities and wildlife officials have not yet released additional details about the bear or the investigation.
For Price, the frightening encounter could have ended much worse. Instead, her quick thinking helped stop the attack and gave Chaos a chance to survive.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.