Authorities in Snohomish County responded after a woman was attacked by a black bear in her backyard while walking her leashed dog. The incident happened around 7:50 a.m. on Sunday, October 25, 2026, near the 49,400 block of Index-Galena Road close to Highway 2 in rural Snohomish County, Washington. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) reported that the woman was walking her dog on a leash in her backyard when a black bear came up from behind, knocked her down, and bit and clawed her until she managed to get inside her home. WDFW said the attack was unprovoked and that the woman did not do anything to trigger the bear. She called for help after reaching safety indoors.
The woman was taken to a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries and stayed overnight. She was released on Tuesday, October 27, two days after the attack, according to MyNorthwest. The dog was leashed during the incident, and officials did not find that the animal provoked or contributed to the bear's actions.
Investigation and response
After the attack, WDFW officers and Snohomish County deputies started a search for the bear, using search dogs and setting a trap near the scene. The initial search did not find the animal. Authorities increased patrols in the Index area and warned residents to stay indoors and avoid any bears or cubs seen nearby.
Officials saw two bears in the area during the investigation and considered that they might be an adult female and a cub, but could not immediately confirm their relationship or which bear attacked. On October 27, after residents reported bears digging through garbage cans near a home in Index, officers found an adult bear and a juvenile bear in a tree behind a local business. WDFW then euthanized both animals, with the adult bear identified as the likely attacker. Both bears were set for disease testing, according to WDFW and KING 5 News.
WDFW decided to euthanize both the adult bear and cub as a public-safety measure after the attack and sightings of the animals near garbage containers and a business in Index. The agency did not report any evidence that the cub attacked a person, but both animals were removed to prevent further risk.
Bear encounter guidance
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife issued public-safety guidance after the attack. People who encounter a bear are advised to stand tall, wave their arms overhead, and speak in a low voice to show they are human. The department also recommended carrying bear spray and warned against running or making direct eye contact with a bear. Residents were told to stay indoors and avoid bears or cubs during the active search. These instructions were given during a wildlife response involving a suspected attacking bear, a possible cub, a trap, search dogs, and more patrols.
Lt. Erik Olson of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police told KOMO, as reported by People, that public safety is the main concern and that every effort would be made to capture wildlife involved in human attacks. Olson said, "the woman didn't do anything wrong to provoke the attack."
Background and related incidents
WDFW described the attack as unprovoked, with the bear striking the woman from behind while she walked her dog. Early sightings of a second bear made identification harder because officials could not immediately tell if the animals were a mother and cub or if either bear was responsible for the attack. The later discovery of an adult and juvenile bear near garbage cans led WDFW to treat the adult as the suspected attacker and remove both animals.
Reports show that garbage-foraging became a key lead after the attack. Shortly before the bears were found, a resident reported bears digging through garbage cans near a home in Index, and officers later saw the two bears in a tree behind a local business. While reports do not show that garbage directly caused the attack, they confirm human food waste as a point of bear activity during the response. WDFW's public messaging combined enforcement with warnings to avoid bears and to reduce conditions that attract them to populated areas, as reported by MyNorthwest.
The incident led to ongoing concern among residents in and around Index, even after the woman was released from the hospital. WDFW and wildlife specialists held a public bear-safety meeting in Index on October 30 to discuss the attack, recent bear activity, prevention, and intervention. Residents reportedly expressed frustration that both the adult bear and cub were euthanized, sparking a local debate over whether the response matched the threat. Officials focused on human safety after the adult bear's suspected attack and later garbage-foraging reports. No further human injuries or additional confirmed attacks were reported after the two bears were euthanized.
For more on the incident and ongoing wildlife management efforts, see The Cool Down's original coverage.
