DEEP: Man shoots bear to protect dog
THOMASTON — A 26-year-old local man was arrested this week by environmental conservation police after killing a bear to protect his dog, officials said.
The mother bear was killed and her two cubs survived. The dog was not hurt.
Will Healey, spokesman for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said William O’Connor’s dog ran toward a bear and her cubs that were foraging in the woods near his Walnut Hill Road property line on Tuesday afternoon.
“The dog started barking and the mother bear treed her two cubs,” Healey said. “The bear stood her ground and started making loud noises, believing her cubs were threatened.”
Healey said O’Connor, concerned about his dog’s safety, retrieved a rifle and shot in the direction of the bear to scare it away.
But, the shot struck the bear, Healey said. After being struck, the bear moved about 30 yards to a neighboring property where it collapsed.
The bear shooting came to the attention of EnCon officers by Thomaston police.
A neighbor told local police he had seen a bear collapsed in his driveway on a home security camera.
When EnCon police arrived, the bear had died.
Healey said EnCon officers reported that the cubs “appear healthy enough to survive.” The cubs were seen in the woods after the shooting.
O’Connor was issued a summons for the illegal killing of a bear. If convicted, the penalty is a $500 fine and/or 30 days in jail. O’Connor is scheduled to appear in Torrington Superior Court on Oct. 19.
Healey said fall is an especially active time for bears. “Bears are out and about stocking up on fuel for winter hibernation,” he said.
It is illegal to shoot bears in Connecticut. There have been attempts to pass legislation in the General Assembly to allow bear hunting in Litchfield County, which has the highest bear population in the state. Officials said bears that eat human-associated foods, including birdseed, trash and pet food, on a regular basis become comfortable around people and associate humans with food, creating a dangerous situation.
Jenny Dickson, director of the Wildlife Division, said bears should never be fed.
DEEP recently reported there has been a record
42 instances of bears entering homes so far this year. In 2019, there were
17 instances of bears entering Connecticut homes.
More information on Connecticut black bears can be found on DEEP's website here.