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Heroic German Shepherd Dog “Sally” Protects Family from Bear Attack in Alaska

picture of german shepherd dog "Sally"

The Bates family of Halibut Cove, Alaska, is more grateful than ever for their German shepherd Sally after she saved them from a black bear.

On Monday, October 12, the Bates family was traveling through the Glacier Moraine Trail in Kachemak Bay State Park. The family of four noticed a large black bear stalking them just feet away from their 12-year-old child. The four hunched together and tried to wave the bear away, but the valiant Sally stepped in.

KBBI reports that Sally immediately positioned herself between the bear and the young boy and wound up fighting the bear. Weatherly, the Bates family wife and mother, reports that Sally had her head in the bear’s mouth at one point, prompting her husband Greg to start kicking the bear until it released the dog.

Greg was able to retrieve a gun from the family’s backpack and got the bear away from the dog before putting the bear down. The family then rushed to get 7-year-old Sally to a veterinarian in Homer. The vet was impressed with Sally’s strength and expects her to make a full recovery from her injuries.

The family is thankful for their dog’s incredible efforts, and they believe the bear attacked partially because of a lack of food in the area. They recovered the bear carcass the following day and salvaged some meat before delivering the rest to Fish and Game for recording. The Bates family emphasizes that they hold no grudges against the bear and are incredibly grateful for their Sally.

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