SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — An Oviedo man said he fought off a bear that was attacking his Yorkshire Terrier named Gator.
Brandi and David Fulghum said there were three bears outside their home Monday morning near the Black Hammock. The bears eventually walked into the woods, or so the Fulghums thought.
About 10 minutes later, David set he let Gator outside before leaving for work.
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“All of a sudden I heard the hollering and the yelping and I just took off,” said David Fulghum. Gator was in the bear’s mouth.
"I just went airborne and dropkicked [the bear]," David said. "[The bear] spun around, stood up on two legs, and hopped back down on four legs."
The bear dropped Gator and wandered off.
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“He’s like our baby. He’s like a child to us,” said Brandi Fulghum.
The dog underwent emergency surgery. The Fulghums said Gator faces $5,000 worth of medical treatment.
The Fulghums said they have never seen a bear in all the years they have lived near the Black Hammock.
"I just want people to know: Be careful," Fulghum said. "I have granchildren. If these bears are out 18 hours a day, you don't know they could be in a tree, in the woods... You just don't know. Just be aware of your surroundings."
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Meanwhile, the Fulghums' employer helped pay for Gator's surgery Monday. They have started a GoFundMe page to help pay for future medical expenses.
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