We saw the bear attack story on Global and CBC.
I was appalled that a resident of Prince George was ignorant enough to jog with an off-leash dog in an area where there could be wildlife with young. Of course Global and CBC told only part of the story but I figured the dog must have been off-leash which your coverage reveals.
I disagree with the officers suggestion to carry bear spray. A bear banger or a small air horn is better protection and will not injure the person in a panic. Studies have proven that the mother bear's main objective is to get away with her babies to safety. If the dog had been on a leash it would likely have smelled the bear and then the man and dog could have retreated so that the bear would have time to exit the scene. Instead there is now a dead mom bear and two orphan cubs that will never learn the survival techniques that their mom would have taught them.
I hope that human has learned something from his experience but from his interview it seems that he thinks that his dog saved his life. No, it was the bear's desire to retreat to safety that saved his life.
Helen Brown
Coquitlam
