Armed homeowner defends himself against a dog-shooting home invader

As reported, a Monroe Township, Ohio man used his gun to fend off a home invader who shot his dog 3 times and then kicked in his door.

Police say that the homeowner and his girlfriend were at home when their German Shepard became agitated and acted as though it wanted to go outside.  The homeowner reportedly let his dog outside, at which point the dog encountered a home invader who was lurking outside.  The criminal is said to have fired three shots from a .45 caliber pistol, all of which hit the dog, police say.  The homeowner heard the shots and reportedly grabbed his gun just as the home invader kicked in the back door and entered, prompting the homeowner to fire at the intruder in self defense.  The home invader then fled, and is being sought by police.  The dog was treated by a local veterinarian and is expected to survive.

As this case shows, dogs can be an asset when it comes to home security, alerting their owners to the presence of a violent criminal, and buying time for self defense.  However, as this case also shows, a dog is no substitute for a gun.  Luckily, this homeowner had a gun to go along with his dog, and as a result was able to defend himself and his girlfriend against an armed and violent home invader.  The fact that this homeowner was armed also worked out well for the dog, since the homeowner was able to quickly repel the home invader then seek life-saving medical attention for his dog.

As a life-long dog owner, who sees dogs as beloved members of family, I wish this brave dog a speedy and full recovery.  Unlike humans, who all too often stand idly by as an innocent person is victimized, this dog nearly gave its life in defense of its owner.  Dogs truly are "man's best friend."