Residents urged to take precautions after bear kills dog in La Verne

Police in La Verne on Thursday were warning residents to take precautions after a dog was fatally mauled by bear inside a home's garage.

The male collie was attacked about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 5400 block of Edgewood Drive, according to La Verne police Sgt. Cory Leeper.

The homeowner called authorities to report hearing banging and scratching in her garage, the side door of which she had left open, Leeper said.

Officers arrived and found the dog bleeding from the neck. They put the stricken canine into a patrol car and drove, with the owner following, to an animal hospital, according to Leeper.

A veterinarian who tried in vain to save the dog determined the dog had been attacked by a bear, although the animal was never seen, Leeper said.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials were informed of the attack, police said.

Leeper said bears typically avoid dogs.

The dog's owner, Patti Behrens, described the animal as a "rogue bear,'' who has exhibited brazen behavior, according to news outlets.

A bear was caught on security video last week taking a daytime dip in another La Verne resident's backyard pool, but it's unclear if that bear is the same as the one that attacked the dog.

A bear-dog encounter was caught on video Tuesday in the backyard of a home in Bradbury.

That bear, which had an ear tag, did not harm the dog, before the canine chased the bear off.

A La Verne resident also reported hearing a commotion in a home's kitchen in middle of the night a couple of weeks ago and found a bear eating honey and other food.

"Residents living near the foothills are reminded that it is not uncommon for wildlife to enter residential neighborhoods,'' according to a police statement. "We ask that you be vigilant and take precautions so as not to attract bears and other wildlife.''

The precautions residents can take include keeping their pets indoors and secured from possible attack, ensuring that pet food is not left outside and securing trash containers.

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