Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
A Vietnam veteran is especially thankful for his rescue dog after she alarmed him about an intruder to his home in Temple City, a suburb of Los Angeles, California.
James Hardan, 69, said that his 3-year-old dog, a Maltese named Angel, alerted him when she changed from her usual calm demeanor and woke him up on Monday at about 5 a.m. by jumping on his chest and running to the kitchen.
"Within about 30 seconds, she'd come back, jumped up on the bed, put her paws on my chest and started tapping and growling," Hardan told KCBS-TV.
He said that he realized she was growling at an intruder who was standing at the doorway of his bedroom. Hardan's wife was still sleeping in the bed next to him.
When the intruder walked into the bathroom, Hardan says that he rushed to go get his gun.
Hardan says he pushed the door open, pointed his gun at the man and said, "Do not move. I will blow you away."
He says that the intruder told him, "I'm your son's friend," but Hardan kept him at gunpoint until police arrived. They arrested the 32-year-old on suspicion of burglary.
Hardan said that his time serving in the U.S. Army Special Forces kept him from pulling the trigger.
"The only thing that stopped me from pulling the trigger was the fact that I said, 'That could be somebody's daddy.' And I didn't want to leave a child homeless," he explained.
Hardan credits his dog for helping him thwart the intruder's plans.
"I protect her, and she protects me," Hardan said. "She took care of the ones who loved her. She's got a special place in my heart, and she's done a great job. I was very proud of her."