A B.C. family feels lucky to be alive after a grizzly bear broke into their home in Kimberley early Sunday morning.

The bear came in through an open window about 4:30 a.m. after breaking through the screen. The family’s 9 ½ year-old dog Sid alerted his family.

“I was woken up by my dog barking and I’ve never heard him bark like that,” said Niki Traverse.

When Niki went out to investigate she found the bear near the kitchen eating from a sealed bucket of pet food..

“The bear was right here, like three feet from me,” she said. “I ran back into our bedroom to grab my husband to say, ‘There’s a bear in the house!’”

Niki’s husband Mark, a hunter, loaded a rifle and went out to see the bear. When the bear began moving towards him Mark shot it, firing three shots and killing the bear.

“It just happened so fast that I seen the bear and realized it was a grizzly and put it down,” he said.

Conservation officer Jared Connatty said the bear was at least 15 years old and in poor health.

“Its body fat was way lower than what it should have been at this time of year. [It] had some hair missing all over the body which can be related to just poor health, which is why it’s resorting to these measures to gain its food resource,” Connatty told CTV News.

The grizzly was ten feet away from the bedroom door of the Traverse’s 13-year-old son and Mark said he wouldn’t change his response.

“I was protecting my family, I was worried for them,” he said. “I could notice its claws right away. It stuck out like you wouldn’t believe - they were two inches long at least,” he said.

The family often sees black bears around their neighbourhood but never expected to find one in their home.

“We've had this house since 1994 and I’ve never thought it would happen to us – ever,” Niki said.

According to Connatty, black bears have been known to break and enter though grizzlies are less likely to do so.

The Traverse’s said their message to other homeowners is to keep windows closed to prevent unwanted wildlife intruders.

“It was a jolt to the system,” Mark said.

Connatty said it’s important for people be proactive about their garbage and pet food. He said the Traverse family can’t be faulted for attracting the bear into their home.

“This bear didn’t learn to do this this morning. This was a previously learned behaviour that lead to this point,” he said. “It’s a good example and good reminder to make sure attractants are well managed.”

The family is certain things could have been much worse if it weren't for their dog Sid.

“This is the dog that saved us,” Mark said.

With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Sheila Scott