A black bear attack on a family's dog in Pine Bush was captured on a home camera, and the frightening encounter has led the family to warn others in the area. The dog was seriously hurt during the attack before the bear was finally driven off, and the harrowing moment was caught on the family's living room nanny cam.
The attack happened last week, just before the family was about to go to bed. On the recording, chilling screams can be heard as the family suddenly realized a black bear had come into their backyard and was attacking their dog right outside the home.
Lauren Moresca is heard screaming on the video as her husband, Mount Hope Police Chief Michael Moresca, rushed over to help. According to the family, the bear kept driving its claws into the dog and pinning it to the ground, and at one point it sliced the animal open with a claw.
The chief was able to scare the bear away with a warning shot from his handgun. He described the encounter as the scariest moment of his life, saying that while the dog is strong, it was simply no match for the much larger and more powerful animal.
The family says they have seen bears in their yard before and believe the one that attacked was a mother bear. They live in a neighborhood close to other houses and have young children, a detail that has deepened their worry about how dangerous the situation could have become.
The dog had to undergo emergency surgery after being clawed open, but is expected to be okay. Relieved that their pet survived, the family decided to share the unsettling video in the hope that it would serve as a warning to their neighbors and others living nearby.
Their message was a simple one. They urged people not to leave their dogs or their children unattended outside, to always stay with them, and to remain aware of their surroundings, particularly in neighborhoods where bears are known to wander close to homes.