A heroic family dog chased away a wild bear who charged at a young boy outside his Connecticut home – and the pooch was awarded for the brave act.
The Tazzara family’s 6-year-old son Colton was playing in front of their house on July 4 when he was approached by the hulking predator.
Terrifying video captured by the family’s security camera shows the black bear charging up on the tiny boy, who has no choice but to stand his ground and brace himself.
But the crisis was averted when the family’s dog, a husky mix named Bella, bravely runs up on the beast.
Colton’s dad Jeffery Tazzara told ABC News he heard the dog barking before he saw the attempted attack.
“A vicious bark, not like she barks and yips and howls and stuff … this was a different kind of bark,” Tazzara said.
Bella cuts off the bear just as it’s about to make contact with Colton, nipping at its tail to pull it away, the video shows.
She continued to chase the bear out of the family’s front yard.
“[S]he bit it in the rear end, and the bear ended up crashing into my boat, and then I think [it] scurried under the boat and then through the back between the houses and into the woods,” Tazzara told the outlet.
Bella was then honored for her action by local politicians on July 17, who praised her for “incredible bravery” in chasing down the black bear.
“Stories like hers remind us of the remarkable bond between families and their pets and the incredible acts of heroism that can happen in our own communities,” State Sen. Stephen Harding said in a Facebook post.
“Congratulations, Bella, on this well-deserved recognition. Connecticut is proud to call you one very good dog!” Harding said.
