A small dog in Peru extinguished the fuse on a lit stick of dynamite thrown into her owner’s yard, saving the household from a likely fatal blast, the owner and authorities said.
The incident occurred late one evening when surveillance footage showed a person dressed in black hurling a sparking object over a front wall and fleeing on foot. The owner, journalist Carlos Alberto Mesias Zarate, said his cocker spaniel mix, named Machis, ran down the stairs, located the device and bit at the fuse until it went out.
Zarate said he immediately called police. Authorities who inspected the device described it as the kind of dynamite commonly used in landmines. They later reported detaining a suspect in connection with the attempt, according to local media reports. Zarate said his family escaped uninjured.
Video circulated on social media after the episode, showing Machis pawing at the explosive before biting the fuse and moving it, actions the owner and neighbors said prevented a detonation. Zarate told reporters the dog “chewed it and chewed it and saved our lives.”
Machis, a roughly 25-pound cocker spaniel mix, sustained injuries from close exposure to the burning fuse. In the days after the event, the family said her vocal cords were damaged and she is no longer able to produce her former bark; the sound captured on their surveillance recording has been reduced to a rasp.
Police in the area inspected the scene and have opened an investigation into the attack. Authorities have not released the identity of the detained suspect or detailed a motive. Zarate, who works as a journalist, said he viewed the attempt as connected to his line of work but did not provide further detail on threats or prior incidents.
The episode drew attention on social media and local news outlets, with many users praising Machis’s actions and expressing relief that no one in the household was harmed. The dog’s family said she has become a minor local celebrity since the footage circulated.
Dogs have long been credited with protective behavior toward owners and household members; news accounts in recent years have documented other instances in which dogs alerted rescuers to injured people or otherwise intervened in dangerous situations. Officials emphasized that explosive devices pose severe risks and urged anyone who discovers a suspicious object to keep a safe distance and contact authorities rather than attempting to handle it.
Zarate said he and his family were grateful to be alive and that they were focused on Machis’s recovery. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances of the throw and the detained suspect’s possible links to the household or the journalist’s work.
Local officials did not immediately provide an update on the detained suspect’s charges or on any wider security measures. Zarate said the family plans to work with police and to monitor Machis’s health as she recovers from the injuries sustained during the incident.