Some recent incidents in Connecticut—involving dogs off leashes and black bears protecting their young—makes us at Friends of Animals feel like the time is ripe to relaunch our mid-1970s “Support the right to arm bears” campaign.

In June, a North Canaan man sustained “scratches to the chest” when he came between a bear and his off-leash dog on his property. The bear’s cubs were nearby. And there were bird feeders in the yard.

Later that month a woman hiking on a trail in the woods near Talcott Mountain in Simsbury let her German shepherd, pit bull and Akita labrador mix sprint down a trail. When she caught up with her dog, she saw two bear cubs and a mother bear. The bear cubs ran down to her dog and started playing.

The mother bear came over and grabbed the dog with her mouth. The hiker did not have bear spray, but hit the mama bear on the nose a few times with a heavy water bottle. The bear retreated into the woods with her cubs.

Not surprisingly, the media seized these opportunities to use fear-mongering headlines on stories, missing the opportunity to provide much-needed teaching moments.

For example, some read: “Bear slashes chest of Connecticut man protecting his dog” and “Man attacked by bear while protecting dog in North Canaan.”

FYI, the man declined medical attention.

A more truthful headline: “Mama bear scratches resident as she was protecting cubs from him and his unleashed dog”

Unfortunately we can’t arm bears, but we can keep educating residents on how to prevent future incidents.

Many people think that walking with their dog provides extra protection, but the opposite is usually the case, according to BearWise®, which was developed by state agency bear biologists who wanted to make sure that no matter where people lived, played or traveled, they got the same consistent message about coexisting with bears.

In the organization’s Living With Bears Handbook, they reveal one bear biologist’s research that showed from 2010-2014 there were 92 reports of black bear incidents involving humans across North America. Dogs were involved in 53 percent of them. Eighteen dogs were injured and seven were killed by the bear involved.

The author found that most dogs involved had been off leash and most likely drew the bear back to the owner. Of those 92 total incidents, 23 involved a female bear with cubs.

Wolves, coyotes, bobcats, eagles and male bears all prey on black bear cubs. To a mother bear, a barking dog is another potentially dangerous predator that means harm; if she cannot quickly or easily get her cubs to safety, she will defend them.

The moral of the story, if you are walking your dog where bears live, you should keep your dog on a short non-retractable leash at all times. It’s also important to carry bear spray. And remember to choose genuine bear spray–look for the EPA registration number on the label. It guarantees you’re choosing a product specifically formulated to deter bears. Personal defense products are not formulated for use on bears.

And it’s important to pay attention to your surroundings so don’t talk on the phone or listen to music.

Making the right choices can keep dogs and people safe and bears wild!

Here are more tips on how to behave when you encounter a bear in the woods courtesy of Bearwise:

If you see a bear before it notices you: stand still, don’t approach and enjoy the moment. Then move away quietly in the opposite direction.

If you encounter a bear that’s aware of you: don’t run; running may trigger a chase response. Back away slowly in the opposite direction and wait for the bear to leave.

If a black bear approaches you

• Stand your ground.
• Back away only when the bear stops its approach.
• Make yourself look bigger by raising your arms and jacket, and/or standing on a rock or stump.
• Yell “Hey bear” loudly.
• Get your bear spray out of the holster and into your hand. Be prepared to use it when the bear is within 40-50 feet.
• If a bear makes contact with you, FIGHT BACK with anything at hand (knife, sticks, rocks, binoculars, backpack or by kicking). Do not play dead.

Nicole Rivard is Media/Government Relations Manager at Friends of Animals. She helps direct FoA’s legislative outreach and brings 29 years of journalism experience to FoA’s Action Line magazine and to the front lines—protesting and documenting atrocities against animals.