Pet Dog Fatally Mauled by Bear in Morning Encounter

DOWNIEVILLE — According to the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office, a resident of Galloway Street in Downieville let two small dogs outside at around 6 AM on Saturday, August 2, as part of a normal routine. One of the dogs ran out of sight, after which the owner heard a yelp. When the dog returned to the house moments later, a bear was in pursuit.

While the owner was able to yell at the bear and scare it away, the dog appeared to have been mauled. The owner took the dog to a veterinarian, where it had to be euthanized due to its injuries. The second dog returned home unharmed.

Sheriff Mike Fisher says his office is aware of a mother bear and cubs frequenting the Downieville community, believing the mother bear was involved in the dog mauling. The office contacted the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to request assistance hazing the bears out of town, but the agency declined to do so. The Sheriff worries that without effective hazing, including the potential use of trained dogs, the bear could become dangerously habituated, putting residents at risk and the bear in danger of lethal response via depredation permit or Sheriff’s public safety declaration.

To help prevent interactions between bears and pets, CDFW suggests keeping pets inside during low-light hours and leashing pets outdoors at all times in bear country. According to the BearWise organization, “dogs were involved in more than half of all reported incidents involving people and black bears between 2010 and 2015. Just under half (46%) of those dogs were injured or killed; their human companions did not fare quite as well, with 62% of them being injured. Many of the dogs had been off-leash, a situation that can easily result in the dog chasing or cornering a bear and being injured, killed, or turning tail and running back to its owner with an aggravated bear close behind.”