VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. (WESH) – A Florida man says he kicked a bear and threw stones at it to save one of his dogs from an attack.
Blake Sprout and Karen, one of his dogs, are still recovering after a Dec. 20 bear encounter right outside their home in the Orange City area.
“I was just letting my dogs out to go to the bathroom, and as soon as I opened the door, there were three bears here. Before I could stop my dogs, they just ran out to the bears,” Sprout said.
One juvenile bear grabbed Karen, who is a Pomeranian mix, and wouldn’t let go. So, Sprout ran up to the bear, kicked it and otherwise did what he could to save his dog.
“It dropped my dog and then attacked me and bit me in my stomach,” Sprout said.
The bear then turned its focus again to Karen, grabbing her in its mouth and running off down the road.
“I picked up a couple rocks just to throw in the direction and try to scare it away, and I guess that worked,” Sprout said.
The bear finally let Karen go. She and her owner are now recovering from their close encounter. Karen needed stitches, while Sprout needed rabies shots. He has a huge bruise on his stomach and is still in pain, but he doesn’t regret what he did one bit.
“I couldn’t let her die. She was screaming in pain,” he said of his dog.
Sprout says his family often sees bears in their neighborhood, and they usually stay away. He considers this a freak accident but says he’s still taking measures when he exits his house.
“I’m more cautious when I come outside, and I check before I walk out with the dogs,” he said.
Florida wildlife officials say they captured the three bear cubs and an adult female. They were relocated elsewhere.
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