Crime & Safety

Video: Linda Jensen Talks About the Friday Bear Attack That Killed Her Dog

Her 5-year-old cocker spaniel, Max was cremated yesterday after a bear attack on Stonefield Road.

Avon resident Linda M. Jensen, owner of Enchanted Gardens, was landscaping at 38 Stonefield Road yesterday when a mother black bear took a swipe at her dog, Max and killed him.

Max, Jensen's 5-year-old cocker spaniel, was tied to a chair on the patio at the back of the Largay family's home while she was in front of the house. Jensen often brought Max with her on landscaping jobs there because she is hard of hearing, and she thought that he would bark if any wildlife approached the remote yard.

Jensen and her husband, Robert Anania adopted Max from the Avon Canine Shelter in November 2006, The Largay family was not home at the time of the bear attack, which Avon police said was reported to them at 11:29 a.m.

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The wildlife division of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection tranquilized and tagged the 225-pound bear and her two cubs. They were to be released into the wild; the DEP can track them now.

Avon Animal Control Officer Beverly LaPlume, who raced to Max's side as soon as she got to the scene Friday to see if she could save him, said a 40-pound bag of bird seed was found near the garage. She took Max to the vet to have him cremated, as per Jensen's request.

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