There’s a reason society uses the term “mama bear.” In the wild, mama bears are fierce and will do anything to protect their young, including attacking humans. Lee Ann Galante knows this all too well. She was attacked by a bear in her own backyard in Butler Township, Pennsylvania, in March 2024.
Lee Ann was taking her dog out to relieve himself at around 8:30 p.m. She had no idea there was a bear and three cubs in her backyard. The mama bear went after Smoky, an 8-pound Pomeranian.
“I look and see the bears in the trees. Smoky was in the corner,” she recalled to 11 News. “She came over right out of the darkness and I was like oh my gosh.” The bear jumped over the fence and went after Smoky. Lee Ann went to save her beloved dog.
The bear then turned to Lee Ann and attacked her from behind. “Knocked me over and I just went face first onto that concrete pad. I tried to get back up and that’s when she grabbed the back of my head and just started pulling my hair and I just thought she was going to scalp me," she recalled. The bear went after Smoky again but Lee Ann stepped in. The bear wasn’t happy with this and pounced again. The bear then bit her arm and ran away.
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“If we didn’t have that break from her, we’d both be dead I know it. You could just tell she was just ready to attack me again,” Lee Ann stated. “It was terrifying. It happened so fast. She was so aggressive, so mean, so strong.”
Lee Ann managed to get inside the house and call 911 for medical help. Her face, arm, and head were injured but she is expected to make a full recovery. Smoky has a scratch on his back but will be OK as well.
Lee Ann credits Smoky with saving her life. “He saved me and I saved him,” she gushed. She still plans to go on her big trip to Italy.
