By Heidi Foo

SEREMBAN, MALAYSIA: Animal lovers have come out in defence of the dog which attacked a robber during an attempted robbery in Taman Asahan, Gemenceh on Monday.

They urge the authorities to go easy on the dog, which investigations have revealed, is a stray that resembles a German Shepherd.

Police initially believed the dog belonged to the security company.

The New Straits Times offices in Seremban and Kuala Lumpur have been flooded with calls from animals lovers nationwide saying the dog was only following its instincts to protect its owner.

Meanwhile, Tampin district police chief Superintendent Zull Aznam Haron said they had learnt the dog was a stray that had befriended the security guard who was attacked during the attempted robbery.

"The dog did not belong to the security guard. The guard was assigned to a shop selling construction material and also an adjoining orchard," he said.

"The guard had fed the dog regularly and the canine would sleep beside the guardhouse at nights when the guard was on duty."

Zull Aznam believed a bond had formed between the guard and the dog, which resulted in the dog acting aggressively to protect the guard during the scuffle with the robber.

"We have tried to look for the dog and even visited the guard's house nearby, but there is no sign of the animal," he said.

The 29-year-old robber, who was also hit on the head by the guard, succumbed to his injuries an hour after he was sent to Tampin Hospital.

Post-mortem results showed that the robber, said to be from Tebung in Alor Gajah, Malacca, died from head injuries inflicted by a blunt object.

There were no serious dog bites on his body.

Police have remanded the guard for investigations.

It was reported yesterday that the dog attacked a robber, who was armed with a piece of wood, when he got into a fight with the guard.

The guard, who also suffered head injuries, stopped a passing motorist who took him to Tampin police station where he lodged a report.

When a team of policemen rushed to the scene they found the robber sprawled in front of the shop with injuries all over his body.