Dogs have earned the title of “man’s best friend” for a reason, but every once in a while, a story comes along that reminds you exactly how they got it. One Connecticut family got that reminder when a bear wandered within just a few feet of their young son before their husky sprang into action.
Fortunately, the entire encounter was caught on camera, and even more fortunately, no one was injured. The clip itself only lasts a few seconds, but it’s enough to make you realize just how quickly an ordinary afternoon can turn into something much more dangerous.
The incident happened in Torrington, Connecticut, and was later shared with WTNH by the boy’s father, Jeff Tazzara. The security footage begins innocently enough, showing the young boy walking around the family’s driveway before he steps just out of frame.
It’s wild what could have happened had the boy instead been closer to the middle of the driveway when the whole encounter went down.
The Security Camera Caught Just How Close the Bear Really Got
The video above is from Eyewitness News ABC7NY, but the footage is originally from Jeff Tazzara of Connecticut. It’s seems like maybe the little boy knew more about the upcoming danger since he walked out of frame only moments before the chaos.
Almost a second later, a black bear suddenly comes running into view, heading toward the same area where the child had been standing only seconds before.
Thankfully, the family’s husky wasn’t about to let that happen. The dog immediately sprinted after the bear, closed the distance in a matter of moments, and appeared to bite the animal before chasing it away from both the child and the home.
The chase is over almost as quickly as it began, but it doesn’t take long to realize how close the encounter actually was. Had the dog not reacted when it did, the situation could have become much more serious.
Viewers Couldn’t Stop Praising the Dog’s Bravery
Commenters flooded the replies with hundreds of comments within hours of the video above being posted. One of the very top comments commends the dog’s actions and says, “Give him a big fat juicy steak with a dog ice cream 😮😮.” Similarly, another person wrote, “We’re so proud of this brave, loyal dog! Deserves a juicy steak! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤.”
Most of the comments were like this, with some of my favorites reading, “They are lucky that was just a young bear. If that was a full green adult bear that dog isn’t chasing it off that easy and that kid might have been lunch,” and “The poor bear was just trying to give the little boy a hug.”
It was reported that no one sustained any injuries as a result of the wild encounter. Well, except for the bear. Hopefully, the family husky won’t need to worry about any more predators sneaking up on his family again in the near future.