An Alaska woman claims that her handgun saved her dog’s life during a black bear encounter while she was mushroom foraging on the Kenai Peninsula earlier this month.
Laurie Price was out with her two dogs—Kaos, a German shorthair pointer, and Willis, a chocolate Labrador—near Lake Skilak when the situation turned alarming on June 7.
She recounted to an Alaska news outlet that after hearing a growl, it dawned on her that the bear was attacking Kaos. “I heard the bear and realized what was going on,” Price said. “My immediate instinct was to get to my dog.”
She drew her Glock 43 9mm and fired at the bear, describing it as, “It went down like a bag of potatoes.” Initially, she thought the threat was over, but then she noticed Kaos had multiple bite wounds and was losing a lot of blood. To her shock, the bear got back up.
“Suddenly, the bear sat up again, and I was like, ‘Oh my god. Why?'” she remembered, feeling a surge of fear.
After fleeing the scene with Kaos, piece by piece, the bear left in the other direction. Price then tried to reach 911 but struggled with poor cell service. Once she reached her car, she informed a passing driver of the attack.
Paramedics came to help her and Kaos, transporting him to a veterinary hospital for urgent treatment. “My heart was broken,” Price expressed, reflecting on the dog’s injuries. “It looked like the bear thought he was just a little sardine.” She was grateful to the veterinarian, Dr. Patrick, whom she credited with saving Kaos’s life.
Kaos was discharged the same day and is expected to fully recover. Price mentioned that the dog has regained the ability to walk, although they are still navigating the healing process. “We’re really lucky he’s alive,” she said, relieved but still processing the ordeal. Interestingly, Willis, the other dog, emerged unscathed from the encounter.
