Alaska Department Of Public Safety,State Troopers Public Information Office

Dispatch Text:

On July 9, 2026, at 4:54 am, a local resident, in the area of Karluk Avenue and Bore Tide Drive in Kenai, exited her front door to take her two dogs outside. She encountered a brown bear accompanied by two cubs, which had climbed over the fence into her front yard. One dog ran back into the house, and the other dog ran away from the front door. In an effort to protect the dog in the front yard, the woman retrieved a shotgun from inside the house, then fired 3 or 4 rounds trying to scare the bears away. The sow then attacked the woman while on her front deck. Another individual at the residence exited the house and screamed and yelled at the bear, which scared it away. She then moved the victim into the house. The victim sustained serious injuries from the bear and was transported by helicopter to an Anchorage area hospital. Alaska Wildlife Troopers and Alaska Department of Fish and Game visited the scene and collected samples left behind by the bears. Several bird feeders in the yard appeared to have been disturbed and accessed by the bears prior to the attack. AST and ADFG are requesting reports of any brown bear sightings in the area by calling 907-262-4453, or reporting to ADFG at: https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=reportwildlifeencounter.main