Asking Eric: She thinks the bear in her yard means she’s some kind of saint

Dear Eric: A friend of mine is a lovely woman, and a real animal lover. The problem is that she lives near some woods and feeds the wild animals that come to her yard.

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I’m not talking about just putting out a bird feeder. She feeds opossums, raccoons, deer and other creatures, and gets a lot of pleasure out of doing so.

It is not recommended that anyone feed wild animals in this way. It is bad for the animals and for you, for lots of reasons.

This week a black bear came up to her back door, putting herself and her neighbors at risk. (She thought it was cute.)

What can I say to discourage her from doing this? She absolutely considers herself a saint for “helping out God’s creatures,” and she is not receptive to contrary suggestions.

– Also an Animal Lover, But…

Dear