Fearless shelter dog takes on bear in Bradbury backyard

BRADBURY, Calif. (KABC) -- Bao Bao the kelpie mix just found his forever home a month ago and he wasn't going to let anyone threaten it.

Not even a 250-pound bear.

When a large bear was spotted roaming in Bradbury, Bao Bao faced off with the wild animal in the Hsu family's backyard.

At first the 55-pound dog backed away cautiously from the much larger animal, as the bear curiously padded into the yard.

Bao Bao temporarily retreated up to the family's back porch, standing his ground as he continued to stare down the bear.

The second the bear started to turn away, Bao Bao came bounding after him, nipping at his back to make sure he continued on his way.

He continued to stand guard until the bear finally climbed over a fence and moved along.

Owner Eddie Hsu said the family just adopted Bao Bao from a shelter about a month ago.

Though he was worried about Bao Bao taking on the bear, he was glad to see the family now has a fearless protector.

"I thought wow, he's really brave," Hsu said. "Maybe we rescued his life and maybe he saved our family."

Residents in this neighborhood are used to seeing bears and other wildlife roaming around. They know to keep their distance.

In this case, right before the bear roamed into the Hsus' backyard, it broke into a nearby home and raided the refrigerator.

The bear roamed the neighborhood for hours before heading off into the hills. Hsu says the bear will likely be back but he isn't too concerned - especially with his hero dog standing guard.