10-07-2025
Female hiker reveals incredible trick she used to fight off bear in Connecticut woods
A Connecticut woman's on-the-spot thinking saved her and her dog during a bear fight in the woods.
Kayleigh Roy, 34, of West Hartford, was hiking on a trail near Talcott Mountain on June 29 when her 10-year-old dog Phoenix took off down a path, leaving her with a bad feeling.
After arriving in a clearing, Roy saw her dog playing with two cubs with a momma bear not far off. Soon after, the momma bear began to attack Phoenix and dragged the dog by the neck further into the woods, Roy told The Hartford Courant.
'It was just such a horrible image and I thought: "I can't leave her,"' she told the outlet. 'I couldn't have this be our last memory together, so I knew I had to try and grab her.'
Despite considering running to safety, she stayed to fight for her dog.
'I knew I had to do something or I just couldn't live with myself.'
Roy reached for her backpack, which contained a gray Nalgene water bottle that can weigh up to 10 pounds if full.
She used the pack to hit the bear in the nose and face as hard as she could, while 'flailing' around to make herself 'look big' while she 'screamed like a crazy person.'
'I got her a few times with the bottle and one that hit her on the nose pretty good,' she told the outlet.
Less than a minute into the attack, the bear started to retreat into the woods and Roy didn't waste any time getting out of there.
'I just started backing away very slowly and started back down on trail. I was frantic and freaking out, I couldn't believe I got that close to a bear. We had literally locked eyes.'
Her dog was dripping blood and was pent up with adrenaline, so she allowed the pooch to walk for a few minutes before carrying her back to the car.
She immediately took the dog to VCA Veterinary Specialists of CT, and the vet told her it was 'miraculous' that Phoenix did not sustain internal puncture wounds.
'When I brought her in, I couldn't see how bad the damage was because she has a lot of fur. But when I picked her up, I realized she was in a lot worse shape than I had thought,' Roy said.
'The veterinary techs there said that they could not believe she got away like that.'
The dog will be on antibiotics for a few weeks and is now recovering at home after a night's stay in the hospital. She has started a GoFundMe to help with vet bills.
Roy is happy her dog is home safe and resting.
'She's such a sweet dog, everyone loves her,' she told the outlet.
Phoenix has also started to bounce back, including greeting her at the door when she comes home, making the owner 'really happy.'
Daily Mail has contacted Roy for comment.
When encountering a brown bear, the National Parks Service advises people to play dead and spread their legs so the animal has a harder time turning them over.
When encountering a black bear, use objects to fight back and or escape to a secure location
A California hiker, Courtney Rasura, was recently confronted by a mountain lion while hiking on a secluded trail.
Rasura found herself just feet away from the wild animal while roaming through Gridley Trail in Ojai on July 3 around 6:30pm.
She said she had looked down at her phone quickly to play a podcast, and when she returned her gaze to the path ahead she realized she was no longer alone.
She also repeatedly shouted 'no' and 'go away' at the lion as it came closer to her. At one point, she just screamed to try and scare it off, which worked.
