Wandering Dog Rescued From Mothering Bear

Dodger the hunting dog was rescued Monday, four days after he was mistakenly adopted by a maternally minded bear.

Game wardens snatched Dodger from the grasp of a black bear mother that had trapped the 3-year-old beagle in its den, apparently because she thought the dog was one of her cubs.

Dodger got lost Thursday while rabbit hunting with owner Butch McCormick of Wilton, Maine. McCormick, tracking the dog by its radio collar, eventually located it Sunday in the bear’s den.

Wardens believe the bear was in a deep hibernation sleep when Dodger entered the den to escape the bitter cold. Dodger rubbed off enough bear scent that when the drowsy mother awoke she assumed he was one of her cubs and tried to keep him from leaving.

“When the biologist actually saw the dog and could reach him, they grabbed him and the bear was pulling the dog’s hind legs with its mouth,” said McCormick, who recorded the rescue with his video camera.

McCormick said Dodger received a bear bite on the ear but was otherwise in good shape. He will also get a long rest. “I don’t know if he’d be good for hunting anything right now,” McCormick said.