This story is a double winner for Yours Truly, highlighting as it does both the best and noblest aspects of man’s best friend and the importance of the right of Americans to bear arms under the Second Amendment.
The events happened early in the morning of last Monday, February 15th, in Ashtabula County, Ohio. From the Star Beacon:
Deputies were called to the Michael Hommes Jr., residence at 4784 School St., around 3:26 a.m., Robison said. Hommes, 24, and his 21-year-old girlfriend told deputies the dog became agitated and was running to windows in the home.
Hommes let the dog outside and soon heard three gun shots, he told deputies. Hommes grabbed a large-caliber pistol and moments later heard the sound of his back door being kicked in, deputies said.
Investigating, he found a man standing inside his home, deputies said.
Hommes fired at the man, who ran from the house and then fled the scene in a white, four-door Buick sedan, according to reports.
The dog was treated at a Mentor area veterinary clinic, deputies said. It’s believed the animal was shot with a .45 caliber pistol, according to reports.
All three shots hit the German Shepherd dog, reportedly in his chest and in his muzzle between his eyes. The vet who treated him is reportedly amazed that he survived.
Eric Puryear, commenting on the news, makes the same points I would make:
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.
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The perpetrator in this episode, it should be noted, did what virtually every perpetrator will do on discovering that their intended victim has a firearm: he ran for his life. Criminals don’t set out to have shooting matches with their intended victims. They’re seeking the helpless. It pays not to be helpless.
And as you’ll see if you watch the local news video below, the dog, named Sirus, is indeed now back at home and playing in the snow. Well done to the vet, and well done to the quick-acting and thanks-be-to-God armed owner of the dog, and well done, of-course, to Sirus himself. I do hope they feed him well.