A burglar chose the wrong house to break into last week, and an elderly dog is being credited with sending him packing – and providing police with the DNA evidence used to trace him.
Missy, an 11 year-old rottweiler, is said to have met the intruder as he attempted to enter the family’s home in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire by reaching through a cat flap in the front door. Her owners said the usually docile dog did so much damage to the burglar’s arm that police reporting to the scene were able to recover DNA evidence from her teeth.
The attempted break-in happened somewhere between last Thursday evening and Friday morning. ‘The burglar must have reached through the cat flap trying to reach the door handle. Because the lights were off he wouldn’t have seen Missy coming. It looks like she grabbed hold of his arm and tried to pull him through,” said Amanda Cunningham.
Proud owner Pauline Cunningham says her girl is a hero. “She’s now a crime fighting dog. Usually she’s a very docile family pet. It’s so out of character for Missy. She’s a big softie and a lovable old girl. In dog years, she’s an old pensioner.””She’s as far from an aggressive dog as you could get,” she adds.