Dog attacked by bear during evening let-out in Glenwood City, Wis.

GLENWOOD CITY, Wis. (FOX 9) - Police say a Glenwood City, Wisconsin man shot a bear after it attacked his dog Sunday night. According to the Glenwood City Police Department, the attack happened outside of a home on West Walnut Street.

Police suspect the bear’s cubs were close by because it continued the attack even after the dog retreated to the deck. The owner shot at the bear and believes he hit it at least once.

Police are reminding residents to bring bird feeders and garbage cans in at night. Anyone who sees the bear or bear cubs is asked to call Wisconsin Wildlife Service’s at 1-800-228-1368.

Last month, a Minnesota DNR officer shot and killed a black bear that was sitting in a tree in a residential neighborhood of North St. Paul. According to the DNR, a conservation officer shot the bear after they determined, “the animal posed an immediate safety threat.”

Changing forests and the need for more space have pushed black bears from the north to farther south in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Finding bears in our backyards in the Twin Cities metro and in the south is not uncommon today. Many are seen marauding birdfeeders or garbage cans. Neighborhood bear encounters can be alarming, but you may need to get used to them. Minnesota now boasts a black bear population of around 12,000, and it’s continuing to grow.

STAY SAFE - Living with bears as their territory expands south

Black bears are opportunistic. They learn quickly how to adjust to their new home surroundings.  While they prefer their natural foods of berries, acorns, hazelnuts, roots, insects and some meat, a black bear will learn to love other things. In farm land, they’ll eat corn. In populated areas, bears will eat anything you or your pets will.

In 2017, FOX 9 took an in-depth look at black bears in Minnesota and Wisconsin. You can watch the full series at fox9.com/bearweek.