A 90-pound golden retriever had a decidedly unthreatening response when a stranger allegedly broke into his family’s San Diego home: He brought the man a toy.
Then he did it again.
And once more.
Homeowner Dante Rowley told NBC 7 that his family watched the break-in unfold remotely through their home security system earlier this month. Two of the family’s three dogs were inside, including Nash, a 4-year-old golden retriever who apparently had something other than home defense in mind.
Come And Play
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The stranger reached an open second-story window using a two-story ladder that had been behind Rowley’s shed, according to the NBC 7 report. The home is near 20th and J streets in San Diego’s Sherman Heights neighborhood.
Once inside, the man removed his shoes and shirt and spent about half an hour in the house. He sat on a bench in the foyer, ate yogurt, turkey and cheese from the refrigerator and even took a nap.
Rowley’s immediate concern was for the dogs.
“The dogs, like, we just wanted to make sure that they were safe,” he told the station.
Nash apparently had his own approach to the unexpected visitor.
Security footage aired by NBC 7 shows the golden retriever approaching the man with a toy in his mouth. The station reported that Nash brought him a toy three separate times.
“Nash was not the greatest guard dog,” Rowley said. “We thought that he was going to be barking at people, and he did the exact opposite.”
Another Welcome
That friendliness did not end when police arrived.
As officers entered the home, Nash appeared at the front door carrying another toy, apparently greeting them much the same way he had greeted the stranger.
The man tried a different exit. NBC 7 reported that he attempted to climb through a first-floor bathroom window, where police were waiting in the backyard.
Officers took him into custody without further incident.
Rowley told the station that the man was charged with burglary. He nevertheless expressed sympathy for the stranger after watching what happened inside his home.
“We just hope that he gets some help, honestly,” Rowley said.
Nash, meanwhile, did not escape judgment quite so easily.
“As for Nash,” NBC 7 reporter Dave Summers said at the end of the report, “he’s still in the doghouse with Dante for his behavior.”