12-Year-Old Deaf Dog Catches Robbers, Helps Police Stop String Of Burglaries

An elderly and deaf dog in Tampa, Florida, used its senses to help catch robbers responsible for a string of burglaries in the area.

O'Reilly, a 12-year-old Golden Retriever with hearing loss, was instrumental in helping police stop robbers responsible for several burglaries in the Tampa area, WTVT reported Thursday.

"He's always been my daughter's protector," owner Eric Stevens told the news outlet.

Despite being deaf for the past two years, O'Reilly still has his wits about him. The dog sensed that something was wrong in the middle of the night and woke up his owner as burglars were outside his home making their way into resident’s vehicles.

"It's just amazing, the fact that he's completely deaf and something made him twerk," said Stevens. "He barked, thank God, and he was right there next to me on the couch."

Stevens went outside to see what was going on while his wife called 911. Deputies arrived just minutes later and arrested two juveniles. Police recovered most of the stolen items, which were returned to the owners. The thieves had been responsible for over a dozen car burglaries, according to police.

O'Reilly’s actions surprised everyone that night, including his owner who thought the dog’s days of being a protector were over. "He's the hero of the day," Stevens said.

O’Reilly’s story comes almost a month after a similar case where an older, partially blind, dog helped a girl who had been reported missing in Australia. The animal stood by the child's side until volunteers were able to locate her.

Max, a 17-year-old blue heeler in Queensland, Australia, stayed by the side of a 3-year-old girl who had been missing for more than 15 hours in the wilderness, ABC.net reported.

"It was really disheartening when everybody left," said Leisa Bennett, Aurora’s grandmother. "We were standing in the darkness knowing a 3-year-old was out in the cold. It wasn’t a situation where we could go home and sleep in our warm blankets knowing she was out here."

After a state emergency had been issued, police found Aurora on April 20. She was accompanied by Max, who made sure the girl was safe.

"The area around the house is quite mountainous and is very inhospitable terrain to go walking in, so she'd traveled quite a distance with her dog that was quite loyal to her," search volunteer Ian Phipps said.