The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Bears may have not attacked pet dogs in Creighton in recent weeks, a respected animal advocate has suggested. Debbie Hiebert, president of the local SPCA and owner of Stillwater Kennels, visited The Reminder offices yesterday to say that she has reservations about two such newspaper reports. "I think people are overreacting and their imaginations are kicking in and they're thinking things are happening that aren't really happening," she said. Hiebert said that Ben, the wounded dog who appeared in The Reminder last week, did not look like the victim of a bear attack. "I've seen dogs that have been attacked by bears, and if they're still alive, they need many stitches," she said. Hiebert said that she saw Ben in person and believes he was bitten by a certain type of fly, causing him to scratch himself and inflict his own wounds. She said she has seen two other dogs with similar wounds over the past ten days, and both had been bitten by the flies. One of those dogs, Fairbanks, accompanied her during her visit to The Reminder. See 'Bear' P.# Con't from P.# "This all happened over one night," said Hiebert, pointing to Fairbanks' bloody, wounded snout. She said that she is not aware of what type of fly has been biting the dogs and added that this is the first year she has seen these flies go after the animals. Ben's owner, who asked that his name not be used, said he does not agree with Hiebert's scenario, insisting that his pet was attacked by two bears. He said his dog had a visible bite mark through his snout, and mentioned that there were two sets of bear tracks, as well as bear feces, in his yard the morning after the apparent attack. He also said there were claw marks on Ben's doghouse. Fly bites may have been responsible for wounds on other dogs, but not his, he said. In his opinion, the public needs to continue to exercise caution given what he believes happened to his dog. He mentioned that Ben is doing well and said he hopes no other dogs suffer the same fate. A person who does agree with Hiebert's synopsis of the dog is Pam Rowe. The Flin Flonner recently woke up to find her dog, Bailey, with swollen areas around her ears and snout. She said that when she went to the veterinarian, she was told that Bailey had an allergic reaction, likely from fly bites, that caused her to scratch heavily. Rowe said that Bailey's wounds looked like those of Ben. Report Meanwhile, Hiebert also commented on a story that appeared in The Reminder on August 27 detailing a police report in which the owner of a dog indicated that a bear had crept onto the owner's deck and abducted the pet. "I have reservations about that incident. I find it hard to believe," she said. Neither dog owner who reported the bear attacks claimed to have actually seen a bear, but bear tracks were said to be found at both residences. With all of the bear sightings of late, it's possible those tracks were not related to the incidents involving the dogs, Hiebert suggested. She reiterated a statement from a local Natural Resource Officer that it's rare that a bear would attack a dog. "I don't think that bears will attack a dog, not unless they're cornered or something," said Hiebert. "I don't think a bear will go after a dog on purpose." She mentioned that she does not have a bear problem at her kennel, located outside of town, because the barking from the dogs tends to scare the bears away. Admittedly not an expert on bears, Hiebert said that none of this is to say that bears can't be dangerous, particularly this summer, when poor berry crops have left them hungry for food. "I think people should err on the side of caution when dealing with bears," said Hiebert, "but I hate to see bears being blamed for things they aren't doing." Lorne Cridland, a Conservation Officer based in Creighton, said bear attacks on dogs are possible but "extremely rare." He encouraged people who see bears to contact Conservation or the RCMP.
