PLAINVILLE, Conn. — A family got the surprise of a lifetime when they found a black bear living beneath their home.
Vincent Dashukewich and his girlfriend were outside with their dog when the animal began to growl, they told WTNH. When they went to investigate, they found a large bear beneath the deck.
“My dog, she’s a pit bull. She’s a sweetheart; she never growls or barks at anything,” Dashukewich told CT Insider. “She’s the biggest baby, so she started growling, my girlfriend turns and looks under the deck and she says, ‘Oh my God, there’s a bear.’ … I’m just looking around trying to find it, then I turn my head to the right and there is a bear just staring right at me. And he was absolutely massive.”
In a video posted to TikTok with the caption, “When you find out why your dog has been scared of going outside,” the bear is visible beneath the deck, lazily looking back at the camera.
“I didn’t really have a thought, I was just kind of shocked,” Dashukewich told WTNH. “He was just staring right at me. I didn’t know what to do, I just wanted to make sure my dog got inside safe.”
The family described the bear as peaceful and named it, “Marty.” The family told WTNH that the animal is welcome to stay so long as it’s a respectful tenant.
“He’s been super chill, I’ve gone out to check on him a few times and he hasn’t really moved,” Dashukewich told WTNH. “He’s looked at me a few times but he’s pretty calm right now.”
The family created a TikTok account on Marty’s behalf, which has more than 500 followers and multiple videos with thousands of views.
@marty.the.bear Last summer I looked so skinny. Gotta start preparing for hot bear summer. #bear #bearsoftiktok #bearsinct #martythebear
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“(My parents) were advocating to try and get him removed, but I said, ‘Hey, he’s a hibernating bear. Why even mess with him right now? Just let him be as long as he’s not bothering anybody,’” Dashukewich told CT Insider. “We don’t even go in the backyard a lot because obviously the weather, it being winter and all so, we’ll just leave him be.”
Dashukewich told WTNH that he contacted the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, which told him to let the bear be if it wasn’t causing issues. If the family wants the bear to leave, officers suggested using an air horn and flashing lights. Officers said they would come and remove the bear, if necessary.
While Dashukewich says he loves having Marty around, he admitted not everybody is on board with his plan.
“It’s very divided,” Dashukewich told CT Insider. “Some people say it’s the coolest thing ever and other people say, ‘Oh my God, that’s so scary.’ But I’m fascinated with bears. I think they are very cool animals and very misunderstood for the most part.”
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