Connecticut dog saves child from charging bear, earns bravery award

Bella, an 11-year-old husky mix in Torrington, Connecticut, lunged between a charging black bear and 6-year-old Colton outside the family home on July 4, and the security-camera clip of the encounter quickly spread online.

The video from Jeffrey Tazzara’s home shows the bear running up the driveway toward the child before Bella sprinted in to intercept it. In the footage, Bella appears to bite the bear’s hind leg, the bear veers away, and the dog chases it back down the driveway. Colton was unharmed, and Bella also escaped without injury.

The scene drew national attention and later earned Bella recognition from Connecticut state leaders and a bravery award. Tazzara said Bella had earned a steak for her bravery, a small reward for a moment that might have turned far worse without the dog’s split-second move.

Bella’s rescue is the kind of video that goes viral because it is startling, but it also underscores the basics of bear safety that wildlife officials push across Connecticut and other parts of bear country. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection tells residents to avoid feeding bears, whether intentionally or by leaving food out where it can attract them. BearWise guidance says that if you see a bear before it notices you, stand still, do not approach, and move away quietly in the opposite direction. If the bear is already aware of you, do not run; back away slowly and wait for it to leave.

The guidance also matters for families with children and pets, because both can change the way a bear reacts. BearWise warns that dogs and bears can be trouble and says owners in bear country need special precautions. Children should stay close during any encounter, and pets should not be allowed to roam ahead where they can startle a bear or pull danger back toward a driveway, yard or playground.

Bella’s instinct may have broken the bear’s advance long enough for Colton to get away, but the footage from Torrington is a reminder that the safest outcome is the one that prevents a bear from charging in the first place.