When given the chance, rescue dogs can become more than just great companions, some even become heroes. Edgar, a Treeing Walker Coonhound, surprised his adoptive family when his super powers activated.

At first, the Lambert family took him to be a mild-mannered dog with a fairly calm demeanor. Initially, Melissa didn’t want a dog but fell in love with Edgar at the shelter she and her three kids hung out at and brought him home.

Before landing in their Pennsylvania farmhouse, the 4-year-old pup was deemed “unadoptable” by a different shelter in West Virginia. But the Lamberts were a great fit for him, and he made himself right at home, choosing to sleep in his parents’ room every night.

Edgar had only been part of the family for a few months before something terrible happened. In the middle of the night, a man broken into their house with the intention of abducting one of the children, who range in age from 3 to 8.

Thom Lambert said that Edgar just began to bark uncontrollably, and he couldn’t understand why – until he heard a noise coming from downstairs. He said Edgar “started losing his mind. It was pure rage.”

Lambert rushed downstairs and discovered a window and kitchen door were open. Since a little girl in their neighborhood was kidnapped a few nights earlier, they were diligent about locking everything. After checking the house and his children, he called 911.

When police arrived, they did not believe the calm dog scared off any intruder:

“Edgar was just there on the floor sleeping while the cops were clearing the house with their guns drawn.  And the cops are like, so this is the dog that you’re saying went nuts?”

According to Penn Live, the only other time the Lamberts saw Edgar behave that way was on the night that Gemma Moats was taken. They believe the suspect walked through their yard.

Police caught and arrested Thomas Dewald, who was responsible for both crimes. Dewald had been staying in the area for a few weeks with family members and began casing the neighborhood for families with small children who had no video surveillance outside their homes. 4-year-old Moats was able to escape.

When caught for burglarizing the Lamberts’ home, Dewald told the authorities that after hearing the anger and aggression in the dog’s bark, he decided to take off. Little did he know that although Edgar seems unassuming, his breed is known for their superior hunting skills and intelligence.

The Lamberts later learned from police that Dewald watched their children sleeping in their beds before being scared off by Edgar’s barking. Authorities are now investigating his movements prior to coming to this small Pennsylvania community to determine if there were other victims.

The Lamberts are still shaken up about the incident but are beyond thankful that Edgar stepped into a hero role. It was not something they were expecting from the chill dog. However, the family is forever affected – and traumatized – by Dewald’s actions. For more reasons than one, Edgar has found his forever home.

Do you live in the area where this story occurred? Are you familiar with Edgar’s breed? Do you know of any other hero dogs like him?

Source:

Fox 43