A Virginia family's dog is big -- and beloved by the kids in their neighborhood. But the German shepherd showed another side to a home invader.
The family said there have been several break-ins in the area recently, and their dog seems to have kept them from becoming the latest burglary victims, WRIC reported.
Though nothing was taken during the intrusion, the family still came home to a startling scene Thursday: Blood had been spattered on the walls and smeared throughout multiple levels of the house.
“We didn’t see anything wrong; nothing at the front door,” said Tristan Murrin, who was the first to enter the home. "We looked upstairs and (could) see trails of blood coming from upstairs going all the way down."
The dog apparently attacked an intruder, enough to have the person leave empty-handed. Murrin said he's happy his dog stood his ground and thankful the pet wasn't hurt, WRIC reported.
"I think the dog did its job," Murrin told WRIC. "He knew that someone was not supposed to be in the house and ... knew to act upon it."
Another surprise about the incident is that the dog isn't known to be aggressive, Murrin said.
"He plays with the kids, the cul-de-sac knows him," he told WRIC. "The community loves him; the kids come up to him and want to touch him and play with him."
Police are investigating the break-in. The family suspected that the intruder required medical attention after the encounter, and hoped that sharing their story could help lead police to a suspect.