Bear That Killed Second NJ Dog To Be Euthanized: Officials

SPARTA, NJ — A bear that killed a second dog in Sparta on Wednesday will be euthanized after it is trapped, an official of New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection said.

New Jersey’s Division of Fish and Wildlife set a trap with plans to “capture and euthanize a bear involved in an attack on a small dog late Wednesday in Sparta, resulting in its death,” department spokesperson Larry Hajna told Patch on Friday.

The bear was classified as a “Category 1” by the Division of Fish and Wildlife, meaning it will be “trapped and euthanized as soon as possible to protect the public and to eliminate further damage to property and/or agricultural crops.”

If the bear is not trapped within seven days, the trap will be removed, Hajna added.

A similar incident occurred on Jan. 3, when a bear injured an 81-year-old woman and killed her dog, Hajna said. It's not clear whether that incident is related. A trap was set, but that bear was never caught.

The woman had let her dog and a relative’s out, and the dogs encountered two bears tearing apart trash that had been set out for the next day’s pickup. One of the bears ran off into the woods. The second swiped at and knocked down the woman’s dog. The other dog was uninjured.

She attempted to scare the bear away from her dog, and it bit her. She was later taken to a nearby hospital and received stitches. The woman was also scratched, though it is believed that was the result of her falling after the bear attack.

As in the second attack, the bear dragged her dog toward the woods, which police later found in their search for the bear. The dog died at a veterinary hospital.

RELATED: Bear Kills Dog, Attacks 81-Year-Old Woman In Sparta

Bear That Killed Dog, Injured Sparta Woman To Be Euthanized

In the second bear-versus-dog attack in Sparta in the month of January, resident Bill Pierce let out his dog at about 10 p.m. Wednesday, according to Sparta police. When Pierce called for the dog — a Yorkie named Tommy — the dog did not return, and Pierce searched for him. He followed bear tracks and blood in the snow to his motionless dog at the edge of the woods.

RELATED: Bear Kills Dog In Second Attack In Sparta

He rushed the dog to a nearby animal hospital, but veterinarians couldn’t save the dog.

Pierce called police shortly after midnight, and they arrived to his home on Layton Lane and followed the bear tracks and blood but couldn't locate the bear, police Lt. John Lamon said. On Thursday, the state was called in to investigate the incident.

Following the first bear attack, New Jersey legislators for District 24 and Sussex County commissioners criticized Gov. Phil Murphy’s prohibition of the bear hunt. They argued that the bear hunt could prevent attacks such as this in the future but that the governor's policy instead made them “inevitable.” Legislators asked for a “sound bear management policy.”

NJ Bear Attacks 'Inevitable' Under Current Policies: Legislators

Hajna said bear attacks on people are rare, and most strategies for dealing with them are nonlethal.

Recently the Department of Environmental Protection was awarded $1.5 million in the 2022 budget for the state's new Bear Education, Assistance and Response, or BEAR, management program that will "add more biologists, wildlife technicians and conservation police officers to advance public awareness and law enforcement response initiatives."

Overall, the Division of Fish and Wildlife said "interactions with [bears] must be avoided for public safety and the well-being of the animals."

The DEP provided the following steps to reduce the possibility of encountering black bears.

• Never feed or approach a bear.
• Remain calm if you encounter a bear. Do not run from it.
• Make the bear aware of your presence by speaking in an assertive voice, singing, clapping your hands or making other noises.
• Make sure the bear has an escape route.
• If a bear enters your home, provide it with an escape route by propping all doors open.
• Avoid direct eye contact, which may be perceived by a bear as a challenge. Never run from a bear. Instead, slowly back away.
• To scare the bear away, make loud noises by yelling, banging pots and pans or using an airhorn. Make yourself look as big as possible by waving your arms. If you are with someone else, stand close together with your arms raised above your head.
• The bear may utter a series of huffs, make popping jaw sounds by snapping its jaws and swat the ground. These are warning signs that you are too close. Slowly back away, avoid direct eye contact, and do not run.
• If a bear stands on its hind legs or moves closer, it may be trying to get a better view or detect scents in the air. It is usually not a threatening behavior.
• Black bears will sometimes "bluff charge" when cornered, threatened or attempting to steal food. Stand your ground, avoid direct eye contact, then slowly back away, and do not run.
• If the bear does not leave, move to a secure area.
• Report black bear damage or nuisance behavior to the DEP's 24-hour toll-free hotline, 877-WARN DEP (877-927-6337).
• Families who live in areas frequented by black bears should have a bear plan in place for children, with an escape route and planned use of whistles and air horns.
• Use certified bear-resistant garbage containers, and keep the container outdoors if you live in an area frequented by black bears. Certified bear-resistant trash containers have passed a formal testing procedure and are proven to keep bears out. Certified containers offer the best protection.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.