German Shepherd Survives Head Wound After Defending Family From Black Bear Attack in Alaska

Courtesy of Weatherly Bates

It isn’t rare to come across a black bear on a hike, but bears confronting several people in a group is an unusual thing.

When Weatherly Bates and her family were out hiking the Glacier Moraine Trail in Kachemak Bay State Park in Alaska, they had the heart-stopping realization that a black bear sow was stalking them along the trail.

The bear was just yards away from Bates’s 12-year-old son, Rockwell.

“We all got together in a group,” Bates said, according to KBBI.

Despite their attempts to drive the bear off by yelling and waving, the animal advanced on the group.

“It just didn’t stop,” she recounted, “and came right at us even faster.”

Courtesy of Weatherly Bates

This terrifying situation could’ve been a disaster, but Bates says her faithful German shepherd, Sally, didn’t hesitate to defend the family.

“It probably got within five feet,” Bates said. “[Sally] went and put herself right in between the bear and our son, because the bear was obviously going to pounce on our son.

“And she just stood there. I mean, neither of our dogs ever barked at this bear, it happened so quickly, but she just positioned herself right in between the bear and our son and the bear just tackled her.”