A black bear broke into a house late at night to search the fridge for food. The elderly dog inside the house, although startled, did not back down and bravely barked continuously at the bear. Eventually, the bear left the house, and the dog remained unharmed.
According to USA Today, the incident occurred in Monrovia, California. Surveillance footage showed the black bear roaming around the house after entering, searching for food, and was discovered by the homeowner's 17-year-old pet dog. Despite being frightened, the old dog courageously stood in front of the black bear and kept barking. The bear attempted to scare the dog away by swiping its paw, but the dog did not retreat. At one point, the two almost made contact before the dog ran away, barking a few more times at the bear.
The homeowner, Zoe, said she woke up to find the black bear had already opened her refrigerator and only left after eating its fill. Fortunately, the pet dog was not injured. Zoe rewarded her dog with a steak afterward.
A nearby female neighbor also reported that the same black bear frequently appears in the community. On that same day, it broke into her home during the afternoon, raided her refrigerator, and even swam in her pool. The bear was successfully driven away after the police were called.
Officials from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife stated that since the bear has not displayed any aggressive behavior, they are continuing to monitor the situation. Residents are advised to take measures to deter black bears from breaking into homes, such as not leaving food-containing trash outside and ensuring doors and windows are securely locked.
It is worth noting that the black bear was wearing a tracking collar, suggesting it has a history of “breaking and entering.” Local media reported that during the day, neighbors spotted the bear wandering around the community and believe it to be the same one seen in the footage.
According to NBC Los Angeles, the black bear also raided refrigerators in multiple homes that day, eating pizza and ice cream from kitchens, and even taking a dip in one home's swimming pool.