Hero Dog Helps Save Family After Home Intruder Slashed Dad With Knife

Dogs teach us a lot of stuff, from unconditional loving to helping others without expecting anything in return. Dogs are truly the best teachers.

Amber and Taylor Newsom, had to shift out with their girls Finley, 6, and Sadie, 4, after their home in Wylie, Texas, witnessed an alleged break-in and attack last week.

There was so much blood on the walls and on the furniture, that they had to discard some possessions and will need to repaint. “So we’ve got a lot to think about and a lot to do before we’re comfortable going back to our own home,” Amber explained.

But the hero of the story is their 8-year-old dog, Marley who played a huge part in saving their lives the family of four.

The incident

Friday morning when 53-year-old Thong Pham allegedly got into the house through the unlocked back door, he grabbed a steak knife from the kitchen, according to Taylor.

It was dark, and the family didn’t know what Marley was barking at, Taylor, Amber and the girls soon woke up and came downstairs, too. “Well, it was pitch black, so we couldn’t see anything, only could hear Marley,” Amber recounted, saying her husband then went for the lights. “And once he flipped the hall light on, we realized that the guy was holed up in the corner trying to hide.”

“So I think he got to the front door and realized I can’t get out, and by that point in time, Marley’s got him cornered,” Taylor said. Pham slashed both Marley and Taylor, and blood went everywhere, Taylor shared a video summary to his Facebook page, where he said Marley was stabbed up to six times, mostly around the head and neck area. “And as I pulled back, blood shot out of my arm,” Taylor continued. “She got him pretty good and I got him pretty good in the face.”

“But it was really hard because I was trying to make sure that my husband wasn’t going to die,” Amber explained, adding that she was trying to protect their two girls. “When he realized that the two girls were in the house, that’s when he kind of backed up and started running.”

Pham has a criminal record and was caught on film trying to open a truck in the neighborhood as well as running off with some pool noodles. He was later found by police and arrested on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and cruelty to an animal. Taylor shared on Facebook that his daughters — especially the younger one — saw the attack take place, and it has scarred both of them.

Taylor also expressed gratitude to everyone for their thoughts and prayers and asked that people especially pray for his girls going forward. Marley and Taylor are doing well, and the family is thankful for their dog Marley.

“She’s our hero,” Amber said. “If it hadn’t been for her, that guy could’ve gone in the … he could’ve gone to their rooms or something.” Taylor added, “Yeah, I mean, the story plays out very differently if Marley’s not there.”