Fort Collins Man Shoots, Kills Bear After It Fights With Dog
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4) - A man in Fort Collins shot and killed a black bear that came into his yard and started attacking his dog. Now Colorado Parks and Wildlife is investigating the shooting.
"They were dragging it out and put it in the back of the truck," said neighbor Kort Hoke.
Hoke arrived home in the Fossil Creek Meadows neighborhood on Thursday night to find authorities pulling a dead black bear from the backyard of his neighbor's home.
People who live on Mail Creek Court believe the bear had been living along Mail Creek behind the home where tall grasses and fruit trees grow.
Police records show the man who lives in the home shot and killed the bear with a large caliber hunting rifle after it came into his backyard and got into a fight with his dog.
"He looked outside and then his dog started freaking out and barking and then the bear was attacking his dog," said Hoke.
After it was shot, the bear apparently ran up a tree where it fell to the ground.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is investigating the shooting. They say it's illegal to shoot wildlife to protect your pet.
"That doesn't mean that there aren't extenuating circumstances that's why we always investigate. If any wildlife gets taken without a license we're going to investigate fully and get to the bottom of it and find out was it an appropriate take of that wildlife?" said Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill.
Some neighbors feel the homeowner did what he had to do.
"I want to keep my dogs safe and keep my family safe. I mean, I have a little brother also. So if I was in the same position I would have done the same thing," said Hoke.
