Spuds may have a little silver on his coat, but in protecting his family, this good boy has proven that age is just a number! The 9-year-old boy who rescued the Pit Bull is being hailed as a hero for his role in destroying the home invaders.
Leroy Rucker of Altoona, Pennsylvania, was relaxing with his dogs when a burglar suddenly burst through the front door. What Spuds did next shocked the local police and turned the senior man into a local celebrity.
According to Rucker, the intruder, later identified as 53-year-old Robert Burke, knocked on the door before breaking in uninvited. A duel ensued between the two men, but Spuds wasn’t about to sit on the sidelines. Seeing his dear father in danger, he jumped into action.
“He wouldn’t come into my house uninvited. I didn’t know you liked that friend. Spuds didn’t like it either,” said Rucker WJAC-TV. “He is going to go out with his father. That’s all I can say. He sees me fighting, he wants to fight.”
When the Spuds entered the fight, Burke cut his losses and surrendered. Rucker was able to phone the police while his devoted dog kept an eye on the suspect.
“The guy (Burke) listened. I mean, he listens better when the dog right there is present, you know what I mean,” Rucker said.
When police entered the house, they found Burke sitting calmly on the living room floor, waiting for them to arrive. Spuds bravely held the suspect for 20 minutes.
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Burke was taken to the hospital and treated for a minor injury he sustained during the altercation. He confessed that he had been drinking, using methamphetamine and marijuana before attempting to enter Rucker’s home. Police said shortly before confronting Rucker and Spuds, Burke broke into another home and punched a woman in the face.
Burke was charged with burglary, criminal trespass, simple assault and harassment. He was issued in the form of a bond.
According to Steven Rightenour, a local sanitation worker, Spuds was already very popular with the community, but now he has become a local celebrity.
“I am a garbage collector. I come into contact with dogs daily – five or six days a week – but Spuds is very protective of his family. He knows the good and the bad, and that’s what dogs are supposed to do,” Rightenour said.
Rucker and the entire community have a new appreciation for Spuds and his protective instincts. Who knows what Burke might have done if this heroic old friend hadn’t been there to stop him? With his bravery spreading across PA, criminals will likely think twice before choosing the Spuds’ home – or his entire neighborhood – as a future target!
Never underestimate a senior dog or one rescue the devotion of the puppy for their family!
Featured Image: Screenshot, WJAC-TV
