The bare facts about bears and dogs

Brenda is an adorable two-year-old Rottweiler mix. She came to CAPS when her person could no longer take care of her. Brenda is full of energy and loves running and walking. She is a fun girl who enjoys people once she has met them. Come out and take her for a walk; she will charm you!

By Kathleen Williams-Miller

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

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Brenda is an adorable two-year-old Rottweiler mix. She came to CAPS when her person could no longer take care of her. Brenda is full of energy and loves running and walking. She is a fun girl who enjoys people once she has met them. Come out and take her for a walk; she will charm you!

Dear Reader, I have mentioned before I used to live in the Colorado wilderness. Fortunately, I had a wonderful Labrador companion named Mr. White. He was formidable, fearless, and fabulous. We spent most of our days walking and enjoying the beautiful country.

Of course, at that time I assumed that bears, mountain lions, and other apex (top of the food chain) predators were afraid of humans and would stay away. I was not prepared for the day we ran smack dab into a black bear. Mr. White barked, growled, and lunged. Within moments, the bear turned and ran away. Mr. White was a hero!

I have thought of that encounter many times and wondered why the bear didn’t attack. I have since learned that wildlife biologists use the sound of dogs barking to scare bears. Interestingly, a dog’s bark is louder at 110 decibels than a human’s shout at 80. Bears have excellent hearing and may associate the sound with wolves, another natural predator.

Black bears can be spooked and will run away, but grizzly bears are more likely to stand their ground and become aggressive when they face off with a dog. Grizzly bears are the largest carnivores in the Western Hemisphere weighing in at 800 pounds. An encounter between a grizzly and a dog would end badly for the dog.

While dogs and bears share common genetics, bears definitely do not like dogs! At one time bear hunters used dogs but that practice is now illegal. In fact, it is more likely that a dog would attack a bear than the other way around. Bears rarely attack a dog unprovoked.

Dogs trained to scare bears are a humane way of keeping bears away from high-risk areas without resorting to killing them. Biologist Rich Beausoleil has worked with bear dogs for 20 years and has never seen a dog injured in the line of duty. It’s a beary successful program.

LOOKING FOR A HOME
Fifteen adorable kittens ages 15 to 20 weeks. There are ten boys and five girls in a rainbow of colors. All our babies need foster homes. Call 775-7500 for details.

Policy, however, prohibits adopting out puppies or kittens under the age of six months to a home with children under five years of age. This is to protect both the children and the animal.

Missing: Ariel a 2-year-old Lab mix. Call CAPS

IN NEED OF
Garage sale items for Sept. 9-10. We need gently used appliances, furniture, treadmills and miscellaneous items. We don’t need clothing. Call at 775-423-7500 to have your items picked up.

Fancy Feast kitten wet food.

Cat litter for our guests’ comfort.

Aluminum cans. If you have cans to pick up, give us a call (775-423-7500) and we will come get them. You can also drop them off at CAPS.

SHOUT OUT TO
Rebecca, Sam, John, Jim, Judy, Kyle, Melanie, and Pauline for faithfully walking our guests daily. A pooch smooch to you!

The kind person who supplied the Fancy Feast Petite Paws. You made the cat’s meow!

COME SEE US
CAPS is now open. We suggest appointments for adoptions, SNAPS, and food pantry. We need volunteers. Call 775-423-7500.

DON’T FORGET
August Holiday: National Dog Appreciation Month

To mark your calendar for CAPS garage sale.

If you cannot have a pet, you can still sponsor a kitten or puppy. We need financial assistance for spay/neutering, veterinarian bills, and food. You can become an angel to a homeless kitten or puppy. 775-423-7500.

CAPS’ mailing address is P.O. Box 5128, Fallon, NV 89407. CAPS’ phone number is 775-423-7500. CAPS’ email address is caps@cccomm.net. Please visit the CAPS website (www.capsnevada.com) and Facebook page (Churchill Animal Protection Society). Be sure to “Like” CAPS on Facebook because we are likeable.
CAPS is open to the public on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Kathleen Williams-Miller is a CAPS volunteer. Contact me at jkwmil@outlook.com.

The bare facts about bears and dogs

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