A home surveillance camera in Torrington, Connecticut, captured a heart-stopping moment when a black bear charged toward a young boy in his family’s driveway, only to be cut off by the family husky. The dog circled the bear, nipped at its rear and drove it under a parked boat before the animal slipped back into the woods. Neither the child nor the dog was hurt.
Home security footage of the encounter shows the bear barreling into the driveway as the child backs away and the husky intercepts it, according to CBS News Boston. The brief clip, which has circulated on national outlets, ends with the bear seeking cover beneath a boat parked in the family’s driveway.
The boy’s father, Jeffrey Tazzara, told ABC News that the dog, a husky mix named Bella, chased the bear, bit its rear and sent it scrambling into the yard and toward the woods. Tazzara said the footage was filmed on Saturday and that he plans to reward Bella with a T-bone steak for her bravery. “A vicious bark, not like she barks and yips and howls and stuff ... this was a different kind of bark,” he told ABC.
What state wildlife officials say
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection urges residents to report bear sightings and to remove attractants such as bird feeders and unsecured trash, according to CT DEEP. The agency notes that bears that find food near homes can become habituated and increase the risk of property damage or injury, and that in most cases a bear will move on if it is left alone and given an escape route. DEEP also provides online resources and a reporting tool to help biologists track sightings.
“Human-bear conflicts continue a decade-long upward trend,” DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said in the agency release, which also points to rising numbers of bear home entries in recent years. The release reminds residents that Public Act 23-77, passed in 2023, prohibits intentionally feeding potentially dangerous wildlife as part of broader efforts to prevent problem bears, a measure detailed by the Connecticut General Assembly.
How neighbors can lower the risk
Wildlife experts and local reporters say common-sense steps reduce the odds of repeat visits: take down bird feeders during bear season, store trash in secure containers until collection day, avoid leaving pet food outdoors and keep dogs supervised or leashed. Those recommendations mirror official DEEP guidance and are summarized in local coverage of recent sightings. CT Insider also advises residents not to approach bears for photos or video and to contact DEEP if a bear behaves aggressively.
Neighbors and viewers online have praised Bella’s quick instincts, and local outlets report the family plans to treat her for the rescue. The footage was licensed by Storyful and has been distributed by national outlets including LiveNOW from FOX, which noted that Tazzara spoke with WTNH about the incident.
