Bear approaches home in Japan’s Fukushima, kills pet dog; no humans injured

A man who lives in the house called the police at around 9.20pm on Sunday, saying, “I think my dog is being attacked by a bear.”

The Yomiuri Shimbun

The Yomiuri Shimbun

The Japan News

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Thematic image only. This handout photo taken on June 25, 2023 and released to AFP courtesy of the town of Shibecha in Japan's northern Hokkaido prefecture on August 22, 2023 shows a bear believed to be "OSO18", caught on hidden camera near Shibecha. PHOTO: AFP

September 18, 2025

TOKYO – A bear approached a house, where it killed a pet dog and ripped a curtain before leaving without injuring any humans in Kitakata, Fukushima Prefecture, on Sunday, police said.

A man in his 30s who lives in the house called police at around 9:20 p.m. on Sunday, saying, “I think my dog is being attacked by a bear.”

According to the Fukushima prefectural police, the man noticed his dog, which was leashed up outside, barking and opened a glass door on the first floor. As soon as he did so, a roughly 1.5-meter-tall bear reached in several times, ripping a curtain in the process.

The man immediately closed the door and was not injured. His dog sustained abdominal injuries and died. The bear is believed to have left the scene immediately.

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