Woman Uses Metal Water Bottle to Fight Off Bear That Dragged Her Dog Away During a Hike: ‘My Dog Was Dripping Blood'

Yahoo

15-07-2025

A Connecticut woman was on a hike with her dog when a mother bear suddenly attacked the 10-year-old German shepherd mix and dragged her further into the woods
Recounting the terrifying incident, Kayleigh Roy said she used her metal water bottle to fight off the bear and save her pet
'I was frantic and freaking out. I couldn't believe I got that close to a bear. We had literally locked eyes," Roy saidA Connecticut woman is recounting her terrifying showdown with a bear after the wild animal attacked her dog.
Kayleigh Roy, a West Hartford resident, was hiking a trail near Talcott Mountain in Simsbury on June 29 with her dog Phoenix, a 10-year-old female German shepherd mix, by her side, per the Hartford Courant. At one point during their walk, Phoenix dashed ahead to a clearing, and Roy recalled immediately having a "bad feeling."
When she caught up with her dog, she encountered a mother bear and her two cubs in the clearing. At first, Phoenix and the cubs began playing with each other, Roy told the outlet. But suddenly, the mother bear came running over and grabbed Phoenix by her teeth. She dragged the dog further into the woods by her neck, all while Phoenix "desperately" tried to free herself.
'It was just such a horrible image, and I thought, 'I can't leave her,' ' Roy recalled to the Courant. 'I couldn't have this be our last memory together, so I knew I had to try and grab her. I'm not going to lie, I did think about running back. But I knew I had to do something or I just couldn't live with myself.'
Roy happened to have a large, half-full metal water bottle in her backpack, which she said weighs between 5 and 10 lbs., depending on how much water is in it. 'I never usually bring a pack with me, but for some reason I did that day,' she said, before recounting how she used it to fight off the bear.
'I started hitting the bear on the face and nose with my bag and bottle in it. I got her a few times with the bottle and one that hit her on the nose pretty good," she told the outlet. "I was flailing, making myself look big, and screaming like a crazy person. I was surprised that no one heard me.'
Miraculously, the bear retreated into the woods with her cubs less than a minute later. Roy, meanwhile, "just started backing away very slowly."
'I was frantic and freaking out. I couldn't believe I got that close to a bear. We had literally locked eyes," she said, describing the terrifying experience. "My dog was dripping blood and had a lot of adrenaline, so I let her walk a little and then picked her up.'Roy carried a badly injured Phoenix to her car and then quickly rushed her to a veterinary hospital in West Hartford, where she was told that the dog "miraculously" had no internal puncture wounds to her esophagus or other organs from the attack, per the Courant.
The veterinary team had to shave Phoenix's fur to properly assess and tend to her injuries, and Roy said she was shocked to see her beloved pet's condition when she picked her up the next day.
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"I started to cry," she recalled to the outlet. 'When I brought her in, I couldn't see how bad the damage was because she has a lot of fur. But when I picked her up, I realized she was in a lot worse shape than I had thought. The veterinary techs there said that they could not believe she got away [from the bear] like that.'
Phoenix, who is now recovering at home, will need several weeks to fully heal — but her prognosis is good, much to Roy's relief. And despite her injuries, she's been in good spirits.
'She's such a sweet dog — everyone loves her,' Roy told the Courant. 'Just the other day, she greeted me at the door just like she used to do before she was attacked. That made me really happy, as I can see her coming back little by little. But it will be a journey to get her back to fully healed.'
To help cover the cost of Phoenix's emergency vet care, surgeries and follow-up treatments, Roy set up a GoFundMe. So far, nearly $10,000 has been raised toward a goal of $14,000.
In a message on the fundraiser page, Roy wrote, "Phoenix is not just a pet — she's my heart, my family and my protector. She saved me, and now I'm doing everything I can to save her."
"If you're able to help in any way, no matter how small, it would mean the world to both of us," she added.
Read the original article on People