Alaska woman punches bear in snout to save dog

[September 02, 2011]  JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) -- A Juneau, Alaska, woman says she knows it was stupid to punch a black bear in the snout to save her dog.

But Brooke Collins says the attack happened so fast that all she could think about is keeping her dachshund, Fudge, from being killed.

The 22-year-old says as soon as she let her dogs out Sunday, Fudge started barking and she saw the bear carrying him like a salmon.

Collins told the Juneau Empire (http://bit.ly/qJVzQ3) she did the first thing she thought of and punched the bear's face and scooped away her dog when it let go.

The startled bear took off through bushes to a mountain.

Fudge suffered some claw and bite marks, but they weren't deep. Collins says he appeared to be more shocked than injured.

[Associated Press]

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