Pardon Dolly: Give Asheville's Bear a Second Chance
To: Governor Josh Stein and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

We, the undersigned residents and friends of western North Carolina, respectfully call on Governor Josh Stein to grant a pardon to Dolly, the black bear currently facing euthanasia in the Asheville area — and to direct wildlife officials to pursue relocation or sanctuary placement instead.

Why This Matters
Wildlife officials often call this "bad behavior." It isn't — it's bear behavior. Bears are intelligent, nurturing animals doing exactly what hunger and instinct tell them to do. As development fragments their habitat, bears increasingly find food near people — not because they've done something wrong, but because the landscape has changed around them.

"Euthanized" is a euphemism for something much harder to witness: a mother bear trapped, and cubs too young to survive on their own left with nothing. This isn't about blaming one bad actor, official, or careless neighbor. It's a systemic failure of infrastructure, education, and outreach — and all of us have a role in fixing it. Bears don't get warnings the way people do. It's on us to close that gap: locking doors, securing trash, and never feeding wildlife.

Dolly has cubs that are too young to survive without her. Separating them isn't a neutral outcome — it's effectively a death sentence for them too. Euthanizing Dolly treats the symptom while leaving the real cause, careless attractant management, unaddressed.

We believe there is a better way, and it isn't hypothetical. Governors across the country have made this same call and been vindicated by it:

Minnesota, 2007 — Governor Tim Pawlenty personally intervened to save Solo, a well-known one-eared black bear, sending her to a sanctuary rather than letting her be put down.
Alaska, 2015 — State leadership stepped in to protect a mother bear and her cubs in Anchorage, choosing relocation for the whole family over destruction.
New Hampshire, 2017 — Governor Chris Sununu ordered the relocation of a mother bear (known locally as Mink) and her yearlings near Dartmouth College instead of allowing them to be euthanized. Mink's remarkable journey home afterward drew national attention and became a point of local pride.

In every case, the community rallied, the governor acted, and the outcome strengthened — rather than weakened — public trust in how the state handles wildlife.

What We're Asking For

• A pardon for Dolly, sparing her from euthanasia.
• Relocation with her cubs, together, as a family unit — not sanctuary or relocation for Dolly alone, since her cubs are too young to survive without her.
• A GPS tracking collar as part of the relocation, so wildlife officials and the community can monitor her whereabouts and respond early if she wanders back toward populated areas — protecting both public safety and Dolly's life.
• A community partnership on prevention — a renewed, visible commitment to BearWise practices across our region: securing trash, removing bird feeders during active bear season, and properly storing coolers, grills, and pet food — so fewer bears end up in Dolly's position in the future.
  Why It's Bigger Than One Bear
  Western North Carolina's economy depends on tourism built around our mountains, our wildlife, and our reputation for community and compassion. How we handle Dolly's case will become part of that story, told by visitors and residents alike, for years to come. We have the chance to show that this region leads with coexistence, not convenience.

We ask Governor Stein to give Dolly the same second chance that other governors have given bears in their own states.