Wind River Bear Institute

Inert bear spray training for the U.S. Forest Service volunteer camphosts of the Darby/Sula District of the Bitterroot National Forest!

The camphosts had incredible bear stories and were very grateful to practice their bear spray skills on our Robo-Bear!

Thank you USFS for the opportunity to get out in the field and educate!

Counter Assault Bear Spray Cassie Mendoza Defenders of Wildlife RMEF MT The Vital Ground Foundation Yellowstone to Yukon

Thank you to everyone that donated to our “16 Years of Soledad” fundraising campaign this past week!

Quick update: Soledad had a fantastic road trip to South Central AK this past weekend including educational events at Potter Marsh and in Girdwood, camping with her Family and lots of good times. Now that she’s back at home, your generous contributions are going towards her new “Mole Ramp” which will allow her to go up and down her stairs with less difficulty.

Our fundraising campaign is still active so, if you support Soledad and the work we do to advance the use of Wildlife K-9s, please consider donating 💜

We had a great time visiting the Fortress of the Bear in Sitka, Alaska! Wildlife K-9 “Sky” got to watch the bears and get lots of good sniffs in 💜 a big THANK YOU to Fortress for all that they are doing for bears & people!
Nils Pedersen Claire Turner

WRBI Program Biologist, Cassie Mendoza, and Nils, together with Wildlife K-9s “Sky” & “Mowgli” having a great time at the event!

Thanks to everyone that came by to visit with the doggies and practice spraying the Robo-Bear 💨🐻

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Celebrating 16 Years of Soledad with some of her favorite people and dogs by going for a walk on one of her favorite local trails!

Sole was joined by her husband, Rio, her daughters, Mardy & Hilda, her son, Tuli, her granddaughter, Sky, her grandson-in-law, Pahakas, and husky-pal, Albert 💜

Sole had a great birthday walk with lots of treats, pets, good sniffs, and even a roll! Something we haven’t seen her do in a long while, so she must have been feeling good. Sole was having so much fun that Nils had to go get her and carry her back to the truck because she wanted to keep going!

Our “16 Years of Soledad” fundraising campaign is open for donations, so far, we have reached 3% of our goal! Every tax-deductible donation will go towards caring for Soledad in her retirement and supporting our Wildlife K-9 Programs. Link in bio 🔗

Fun fact: If every one of our Instagram followers donates a little bit, we will easily reach our goal 💜

Anchorage, come out to the Potter Marsh Discovery Days event this Saturday, June 6, and meet our Karelian Bear Dog Wildlife K-9 Team!

We will be performing part of our interactive skit “Think Like a Bear!” demonstration for kids & adults and demoing our new Robo-Bear, so come practice your Inert Bear Spray skills, buff up on your bear safety knowledge, and meet some pups 💜

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HAPPY 16TH BIRTHDAY, SOLEDAD! 🎉

Help us raise $16,000 in honor of Soledad’s 16th birthday and her lifetime of achievement helping make the world safer for bears & people.

Wind River Grace’s “Soledad” has worked alongside wildlife professionals, educators, and conservation practitioners as a Karelian Bear Dog Wildlife K-9 since she was less than one year old. More than a decade and a half later, Sole has worked throughout North America with all three species of bear: black bears, grizzly bears, & polar bears.

To many of us, Soledad is more than a working dog—she is a conservation icon. Through countless demonstrations, presentations, training events, and Bear Shepherding actions, she has helped inspire people around the world while serving as an ambassador for bears, Karelian Bear Dogs, and the many breeds of dogs working in the field of wildlife conservation.

Now retired, Soledad spends her days enjoying the quieter side of life. As a senior dog, she faces some of the health challenges that come with age and requires a little more veterinary care, monitoring, and support these days. But her legacy continues through the work of the Wind River Bear Institute and the Wildlife K-9 dogs following in her paw prints

💜 To celebrate her 16th birthday, we’re launching 16 Years of Soledad with a goal of raising $16,000 in honor of her lifetime of service. 💜

Every donation supports WRBI’s mission to advance the use of Wildlife K-9s to reduce human-wildlife conflict and make the world safer for bears & people.

Whether you contribute $16, $160, or simply share this campaign with a friend, you’re helping continue the work that dogs like Soledad have dedicated their lives to advancing.

Donate here: https://givebutter.com/soledad-16

Link in bio 🔗 or use the QR code on this post.

Please leave a birthday wish, favorite memory, or photo of Soledad in the comments 💬 We’d love to read Sole your comment or hear about how she has touched your life.

Thank you for helping us celebrate and support our extraordinary Soledad.

🐻 And, as always...

GOOD JOB ON THE BEAR, SOLE! 🐾💜