I don't think I'll ever fully find the words for how grateful I am. When I got the call that Dolly and her three cubs were in trouble, and Dolly was to be captured and killed, I felt physically sick. I have seen her countless times through the season, and have never had a single issue with her lounging in the yard with her three cubs, or had her break into my home. I know some people have had a different experience, and I understand that something has to change.
What started as a small, worried hope has turned into over 6,000 of you signing on, more than 4,000 of you to the petition here, directly requesting that Governor Stein step in and pardon her. The countless calls, emails, shares, and conversations happening all across our community and beyond are incredible, and every single one of those has mattered. Truly.
Here's where things stand. I've been in direct, ongoing conversation with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, and I want to say clearly: they have given me their time and their ear, and I'm grateful for that, even as we keep pushing for a different outcome.
We've also been working closely to secure a permanent, safe home for Wendell and Dolly together, and we're working through what it would take to make that possible.
None of that is a guarantee. I want to be honest about that. But it means there is a real, working path forward — not just a hope, but an actual plan being built, piece by piece. We have to keep pushing our decision makers to make that call and allow this pardon.
Here's what's at stake, plainly: Dolly could still be captured, and killed, at any time. I keep coming back to this — none of this happened because Dolly did anything wrong. It happened because our landscape, our habits, and our infrastructure haven't caught up to what it means to share these mountains with bears. That's on us to fix, regardless of how Dolly's story ends.
So thank you. For signing, for calling, for sharing, for caring about a mother bear and her cub you've never met. If you haven't yet, please consider signing or calling the Governor's office — it genuinely is making a difference in how seriously this is being taken. And if you have already, thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I'll keep you posted as we learn more.
With gratitude and hope, Hannah
Thank you to Dustin Furlow photography for the beautiful images that have become the front and center of our campaign.