Newport, Pa. - A district judge has slapped an additional fine of $1,500 on a Perry County man who says he was defending himself and his dog when he shot a black bear at his home last month.

Judge Daniel McGuire today found 27-year-old Dustin Lauver guilty on a charge of illegally taking or possessing game or wildlife.

Lauver, who lives in a rural area near Newport, says he heard something fighting with his dog and went outside early in the morning to investigate. He says he fired two warning shots with a .22 caliber rifle but soon saw something coming at him and fired again, soon realizing that he had shot and killed the bear.

He called the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which fined him about $500 for killing the 200-pound female out of season.

Lauver decided to fight the fine in court, but McGuire tacked on the cost of replacing the bear - upping the penalty to more than $2,000.

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