Mom Says She Felt Like 'Rag Doll' During Bear Attack Before Barking Dog, and a Hair Clip, Saved Her

Mar. 15, 2025

A Canadian woman is speaking out after surviving a grizzly bear attack thanks to a hair clip and her dog.

The incident occurred around 10:30 p.m. on June 30 on the Trans Canada Trail, according to a news release fromYukon Conservation Officer Services.

Vanessa Chaput, 24, toldTodayshe and her German shepherd, Luna, were jogging along a paved trail when they turned a corner and came face-to-face with three bears. A fourth was apparently lurking behind her as well.

Luna quickly broke away and chased off two of the smaller bears, leaving Chaput to face a large male bear on her own.

The bear attacked as Chaput attempted to back away. She tried to hide behind a tree, but the bear quickly tracked her down. “It took my head in its mouth and I ended up on the ground,” Chaput toldToday.

At one point during the encounter, Chaput’s hair clip broke in the bear’s mouth. “It crushed the clip and I think the spring part just kind of exploded in his mouth,” she toldInside Edition.

The bear bit one of Chaput’s arms and also left her with injuries to her spine and thighs,Todayreported. It also bit one of her arms.

Eventually, Luna returned to the scene and helped chase off the last bear. It’s unclear what happened to the fourth bear. Miraculously, her dog escaped the incident unharmed.

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During the ordeal, Chaput recalled thinking, “I’m not ready to leave my daughter and my husband."

Chaput sustained “significant injuries” from the encounter, according to the Yukon Conservation Officer Services.

She was hospitalized for 10 days and received more than 30 stitches before she was released, perToday.

A conservation officer euthanized a bear “that was present at the exact location of the attack” immediately after the June 30 incident. “Three additional bears matching the description were located in the area and two were euthanized," authorities added.

The YCOS acknowledged the public’s concern regarding the euthanization of bears following a defensive attack but said “critical decisions are made in the interest of public safety” in circumstances like this.

“Officers take this responsibility and the outcomes of their decisions seriously,” the agency added.

source: people.com