In a late-night encounter last December, a Florida resident found himself in the middle of a wildlife scuffle when his dog, Karen, a Pomeranian, confronted a group of black bears. Blake Sprout, the dog's owner, intervened when he saw a bear cub holding Karen in its mouth. Security footage captured the incident, showing Sprout rushing into the yard and kicking the cub to release his pet. During the altercation, the cub bit Sprout in the stomach.
Sprout recounted the events to FOX 35 Orlando, stating he let Karen out around midnight on December 20th when she encountered the bear cub, its mother, and two siblings. He described the cub's aggressive reaction: "He growled and charged and just latched onto my stomach." Sprout explained his immediate reaction was to protect his beloved pet, who he considers "part of the family." He added, "I couldn't just sit there and watch her die. My kids love her. I couldn't just tell them at Christmas, ‘Our dog is gone.’"
Following the incident, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) successfully trapped and relocated the entire bear family. In a statement, the FWC confirmed, "FWC bear management staff set traps on the property and successfully caught the three cubs and adult female bear, then relocated the family group." While Sprout sustained a minor injury, both he and Karen are safe. In Florida, it's legal to use lethal force against bears in self-defense or to protect specific property.
