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Jack Russell terrier helps woman escape bear attack

Bear Attack Colorado
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A Jack Russell terrier is credited with saving a woman who was being attacked by a bear in Vermont.

Susan Lee, 61, told authorities that she was trail walking with her dogs when a bear began charging at her.

She said she tripped over a stone wall and the bear got on top of her and bit her leg. She said that's when her Jack Russell terrier began barking at the bear and distracted it long enough for her to escape.

Lee managed to walk home and call her neighbor, who took her to the hospital.

"She sustained a bite wound on her upper left leg and multiple scratches between two and nine inches long on both her sides," the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department said in a statement.

Officials visited the trail where Lee was attacked. They couldn't find the bear but concluded it was a female with cubs.

They believe Lee's dogs spooked the animals, likely provoking the attack.

Bear attacks are rare in Vermont. Officials said records show only three prior attacks in the state.