Dog survives bear attack while guarding family’s chickens
By Meagan Halbardier Moore
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ESPAÑOLA, New Mexico (KOAT) — Honey, a 12-year-old mixed-breed dog owned by the Martinez family, is being praised for her bravery after surviving a bear attack while protecting the family’s chickens.
The family said they woke up in early March to find Honey barely breathing and badly injured in their driveway. At first, they knew something was seriously wrong, but the full extent of her injuries became clear only when they looked closer.
Lenna Martinez said Honey had suffered severe wounds to her neck, leaving them shocked and devastated by what they saw. “I turned her head to the right, and that’s when I saw like her whole neck, like the skin was just ripped off her entire neck, where the collar was covering. And I just immediately started crying. Like, I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing and how severe it was.”
After an investigation, the Martinez family said they believe a bear came onto their property in an attempt to get to the chickens. Honey, whom the family described as an extremely protective dog, appears to have confronted the animal and fought to keep it away from the coops.
“They could see the tracks of her running back and forth, trying to keep the bear out of the chicken coops,” said Mattie Allen, the director of communications and programs at Española Humane. “And unfortunately, Honey took the brunt of the bear’s anger.”
Honey was treated by Española Humane, which the family credited with helping save her life. They say the care she received gave them a second chance with a dog that has shown fierce loyalty to their family.
Now recovering, Honey is being celebrated not only as a survivor but as a hero whose courage helped protect the animals in her care. The family now calls her “Honey the Bear Slayer.”
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