Wiener Dog Credited With Saving Men from Bear Attack

A dog being called a hero tonight, credited with saving the lives of two men when they were caught off guard by a bear.

Bradley, a Dachshund, put up a fight against the bear on Saturday in Oscoda County.

While he didn't survive, the two men who were with him say because of him they did.

The two men from downstate were visiting their friend in Comins.

They say despite the large bear being feet away from them, it didn't scare the small dog one bit.

“We came out in the golf cart, and this bear was standing right there,” Mike Hodges recounts.

Hodges, who suffered a stroke just three weeks ago, says he and his friend Jeremy, didn't notice the bear right away.

Bradley's owner, says the dog certainly did.

“Bradley jumped off the golf cart and attacked the bear, and the bear grabbed Brad and took off,” owner John Force explains.

“He grabbed him up and took off running through the woods with two other bears following 'em,” describes Mike.

They believe the bear was startled by Mike, Jeremy, and Bradley, and was trying to protect its cubs, and when the bear reacted, Bradley was simply trying to protect the two men he had only just met that day.

“I think when Brad saw it, he did what he would normally do, jumped right off it and went at it. I wouldn't have ran after that bear with a knife as big as I am, and little Brad- 4, 5 pounds- he don't have a filter for fear,” John says.

The two men eventually scared the bear away with a stick and loud noises. They brought Bradley back to the house, and the dog was rushed to an animal hospital, where he died.

“He was a warrior,” John speaks highly of his dog, “if he would have died any other way than that, you know, it was a noble death the way I look at it.”

John believes his dog's fearlessness changed the outcome of what could have been an even more tragic situation.

“Mike being in the medical condition he's in, I don't think he would have been alert enough to get away from the bear. I think brad did save them from getting mauled at least,” says John.

John says he and his family are proud of what their dog did, and know Bradley would do it again.

“It ain't the size of the dog in the fight, but the fight in the dog that counts, and that sums it up for Bradley.”