Pet Dog Attacked, Killed By Bear In Home Backyard In 'Gruesome Incident'

In an unfortunate incident, a pet dog was attacked and killed by a bear in the backyard of a home in Gulf Breeze, Florida, on Sunday night.

According to a news release, officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) responded to the home after receiving reports of a bear attacking a dog. Officials said the adult female bear was with its cubs when it encountered the canine. The bear then killed the dog. Post the attack, a resident of the area fired in the direction of the bear, but the animal was not seriously injured. There was, however, no information about who the dog belonged to.

Speaking to ABC-affiliated television station WEAR TV, an eyewitness said he heard screaming from the backyard. When he went out to see what was happening, he saw the bear attacking the dog.

"When I got there, the bear was mauling and had killed the dog in the backyard, it was a gruesome incident,” he said.

The following day, FWC passed out fliers to the residents of the area detailing the tips to keep bears away.

Greg Barfield, who has been staying in the area for over 30 years, said bear activity has become more prominent in the past few years.

“It's like we're in prison, the bears can do what they want to,” Barfield said, adding that a few weeks ago, a “big, large, 400-plus pound bear” was seen walking through his yard.

Following Sunday’s incident, Barfield wants the FWC to take some initiative and not just stick to offering safety tips.

“Kind of a change in the game a little bit. We never used to see them, and I know now with no natural predators they are going to keep multiplying and multiplying. Something’s got to be done sooner or later,” he said.