Footage Of A 17-Year-Old Shoving A Bear To Protect Her Dogs Is Making Rounds On Internet And It Looks Unbelievable

Jun 02, 2021

Human beings and their pets can be extremely close to each other, and there are heartwarming stories out there of how animals have not only enriched each others' lives but changed them entirely. According to CNN, some of the benefits of having a pet in your life is "higher survival rates, fewer heart attacks, less loneliness, better blood pressure, better psychological well-being, lower rates of depression and stress levels, fewer doctor visits, increased self-esteem, better sleep and more physical activity." 

Moreover, the emotional aspect of having pets is something that cannot be measured. Dogs especially have shown that they are emotionally connected to their owners, and stories such as that of Hachiko show that the bond is deep and lifelong. While dogs have shown their selfless and unconditional love through such stories, there have also been instances when humans have stepped up for their animal friends and put themselves in danger to save their pets. 

This was the case when a teenager encountered a bear in her backyard and in a shocking turn, she physically pushed away the bear to protect her dogs. The teen, Hailey Morinico, 17, said she heard the family dogs barking in her backyard and saw a massive mama bear on a wall with her cubs on Memorial Day 2021. The mamma bear seemed to be a threat to her family dogs, especially her mother's service dog, but since no one was around to help her, Hailey took things into her own hands. 

The entire frightening encounter was caught on security camera surveillance and shows how brave Hailey was during the time. 

When Hailey heard her dogs barking in the background, she did not know what the problem was outside, and she had no idea what she was in for. The incident took place on Memorial Day, and the video captured the bear repeatedly swiping at her mother's service dog while three other puppies barked and darted around the backyard. The dogs were certainly in danger and things could have gone wrong really fast, so Hailey felt she had to jump into action right away. 

According to ABC News, she didn't think twice and she shoved the bear off of the wall and quickly grabbing one of the dogs before running back into the house and keeping the pup safe. 

About the incident, Morinico said, "Honestly, I did not know it was a bear until right after I pushed it. I didn't register in my head that it was a bear," adding, "I was like 'It's an animal and it's taking my child' and I pushed the bear."

While it was a brave thing that Morinico did, it was also extremely dangerous, and the teen could have been in terrible danger. Her mother, Citlally Morinico, said that she was shocked when she saw the video. "I just break down every time I see (it). It's just horrifying to watch," she said. Even though it was dangerous, all three dogs and Hailey are reported to be okay, including her mom's service animal. Hailey said she had to get into action because "I didn't want to know what would happen if the bear hurt her or even took her, so I had to do what I had to do."

Thankfully, Hailey was not hurt physically by this encounter in any way. 

Hailey told the news outlet that she came escaped the incident with only a sprained finger on the hand she pushed the bear with and as well as scrapes on her knee.

Hailey's cousin, Brenda Lopez Rincon told Buzzfeed News that she too was shocked to see the footage. She was the one who shared it on TikTok and Instagram, where the video has gone viral. "I felt a mixture of shock and a little proud of her because of how brave she is," Lopez Rincon said. "We immediately told her to NEVER do that again."

Lopez Rincon also told the outlet that her cousin is a very shy and sweet person who "normally wouldn't hurt a fly," which is why the daring she showed in the video was so shocking to her. However, it is clear that Hailey "loves those dogs very much" according to Lopez Rincon. 

In a follow-up video on social media, Lopez Rincon told her followers that Hailey lives in the mountains and that bears appearing at people's houses is "really normal," especially in the summer. While Hailey escaped unharmed from this encounter, a local wildlife expert told ABC News that what Hailey did was very dangerous. Christopher Nyerges, a naturalist and author, explained that a bear can cause serious injuries very easily.

He said, "I'm happy that nothing bad happened, but if you live in those communities, you need to be constantly alert that as the development has encroached into their native territory, you're going to have those encounters more and more."

What do you think of Hailey's actions in the video? Have you ever been in such a dangerous situation? Tell us your thoughts, and be sure to ask others what they think as well.