Bear Attacks

I recently traveled to Alaska for a story that will appear in an upcoming AGUSM edition. A bear entered the camp of the Master's Commission North Pole students near the beginning of the Yukon River trip and ripped open a brand new Cabela's tent. When the bear became aggressive and refused to be run off, Ron Pratt, director of MCNP, fearing for the students, had to shoot him. Later, we ate black bear backstrap and ribs. Ron gave most of the bear meat to a native village, for which they were very grateful.

At an Athabaskan fish camp we stopped at, there was a "bear dog," a dog kept just to keep bears from stealing the fish.

Later, in a store in Anchorage, I saw a bear spray, along with this (redundant) promo: "Stops harmful attacks." Are there any bear attacks that are NOT harmful?