A man shot a grizzly bear dead outside his house near Inuvik, N.W.T., on Wednesday, after it mauled two of his dogs to death.

Willie Simon told CBC News he heard some noise outside his home that afternoon, then noticed one of his dogs lying on his driveway bleeding. By the time he grabbed his gun, he said the bear had attacked two more dogs in his backyard.

"I didn't want to shoot the dog so I kind of shot a little high," Simon said Thursday. "He let go of the dog, and then he stand up a little more … I got a good shot at him then."

Simon shot the bear dead, but not before it had killed two dogs and seriously wounded a third.

"Yeah, it's kind of like, I still feel it. You could see I'm emotional a little bit," he said, adding that he'd had the dogs for several years.

"I mean, they are pet dogs, you know? They're good dogs, really nice dogs, just like a nice human being, you know? It's kind of sad to see them all mauled up like that."

Grizzly bears are rarely seen in the winter, since most are hibernating.

Wildlife officers are examining the grizzly carcass. They said the bear looked skinny and was probably looking for food.