Pennsylvania Woman Recovering from Injuries After Attack by Mother Bear

A mother bear attacked and seriously injured a Pennsylvania woman who was trying to protect her small dog from a sow whose three cubs had crossed over her fence and into her backyard.

According to AP News, the 55-year-old woman was attacked after letting her dog out behind her home Tuesday night, March 5, 2024. Lee Ann Galante told Inside Edition that when the bear jumped the fence and began chasing her Pomeranian, Smoky, she yelled in an attempt to scare it away.

Galante said that the mother bear then charged her, knocking her off the steps of her deck, causing her face to smash into the concrete. The bear then grabbed the hair on the back of her head and began pulling it.

“I’m thinking this is it. She’s got my arm. She’s going to kill me,” Galante said.

Galante was taken by ambulance to Butler Memorial Hospital and then Allegheny General Hospital for treatment of injuries to her arm, face, neck, and head.

Neighbor Michael Vero, said it “was nerve-wracking to hear her screaming.”

Police said the adult bear was killed after she “continued with her aggression.” Game Commission spokesperson Travis Lau said the three yearlings were tranquilized and will be released if rabies isn’t detected.