Cornwall labrador maimed in bear attack

Cornwall labrador maimed in bear attack

Charlie the labrador retriever must wear a cone while he recovers from a bear attack on Wednesday, July 17.

Phyllis Nauts

CORNWALL — An eight-year-old black labrador retriever named Charlie was mauled by a bear in his yard on the evening of Wednesday, July 17.

Phyllis Nauts, his owner, said she did not hear or see the fight and only realized what had happened when Charlie came inside for mealtime.

“When it was time for dinner he came into the house and didn’t seem interested, which, if you know anything about labs, is unusual,” she said. “He collapsed on the kitchen floor. As I petted him I realized there was blood on his flank.”

Nauts said the bite marks were deep and roughly the width of a dime. Charlie could not make it upstairs to sleep, so Nauts arranged dog beds in the kitchen and slept with him on the floor.

The next morning she took Charlie to Millerton-based veterinarian Caroline Cannon, who put him on a combination of antibiotics, pain killers, rabies boosters, and tender love and care. She also condemned Charlie to a cone collar while he healed.

As of Friday, July 19, Nauts reported her beloved lab is on the mend. “He’s chipper and up and about.”

Charlie the black lab was bitten by a bear July 17. Bite marks on both flanks left deep wounds in the dog.Phyllis Nauts

Nauts said she has seen bears on her property for many years but has never experienced an incident like this.

“I’m concerned there may be a rogue bear out there,” she said.

Nauts reported the attack to Cornwall Town Hall and Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Latest News

Mountaineers keep kicking in state tournament

Ava Segalla, Housatonic Valley Regional High School's all-time leading goal scorer, has takes a shot against Coventry in the Class S girls soccer tournament quarterfinal game Friday, Nov. 7.

Photo by Riley Klein

FALLS VILLAGE — Housatonic Valley Regional High School’s girls soccer team is headed to the semifinals of the state tournament.

The Mountaineers are the highest seeded team of the four schools remaining in the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Class S playoff bracket.

Keep ReadingShow less
Legal Notices - November 6, 2025

Legal Notice

The Planning & Zoning Commission of the Town of Salisbury will hold a Public Hearing on Special Permit Application #2025-0303 by owner Camp Sloane YMCA Inc to construct a detached apartment on a single family residential lot at 162 Indian Mountain Road, Lakeville, Map 06, Lot 01 per Section 208 of the Salisbury Zoning Regulations. The hearing will be held on Monday, November 17, 2025 at 5:45 PM. There is no physical location for this meeting. This meeting will be held virtually via Zoom where interested persons can listen to & speak on the matter. The application, agenda and meeting instructions will be listed at www.salisburyct.us/agendas/. The application materials will be listed at www.salisburyct.us/planning-zoning-meeting-documents/. Written comments may be submitted to the Land Use Office, Salisbury Town Hall, 27 Main Street, P.O. Box 548, Salisbury, CT or via email to landuse@salisburyct.us. Paper copies of the agenda, meeting instructions, and application materials may be reviewed Monday through Thursday between the hours of 8:00 AM and 3:30 PM at the Land Use Office, Salisbury Town Hall, 27 Main Street, Salisbury CT.

Keep ReadingShow less
Classifieds - November 6, 2025

Help Wanted

Weatogue Stables has an opening: for a full time team member. Experienced and reliable please! Must be available weekends. Housing a possibility for the right candidate. Contact Bobbi at 860-307-8531.

Services Offered

Deluxe Professional Housecleaning: Experience the peace of a flawlessly maintained home. For premium, detail-oriented cleaning, call Dilma Kaufman at 860-491-4622. Excellent references. Discreet, meticulous, trustworthy, and reliable. 20 years of experience cleaning high-end homes.

Keep ReadingShow less