One four-legged friend is getting a lot of love from the Holly Springs community.
Hazel, a 7-year-old Weimaraner, is being called a hero after she scared off two masked individuals who approached her family's home earlier this week.
Other WRAL Top Stories
The incident, which was caught by neighbors and reported to the police, is now under investigation.
Hazel's owner, Matt Cable, said he began receiving calls from his neighbors after they witnessed the incident Monday afternoon.
"[He said] two guys in a white car jumped out and started running down your driveway. Hazel started barking, and they immediately ran back and took off," Matt said.
The masked individuals didn't get close enough for anyone to identify them, and it's still unclear what their intentions were. But Matt is convinced Hazel made all the difference.
"I don't know if they were armed or what they planned to do," he said. "But in that moment, I do think she deterred them."
Holly Springs Police Chief Paul Liquorie confirmed that officers have a partial license plate on the vehicle involved and are actively investigating.
"It could have been porch pirates or people looking to get into vehicles," Liquorie said. "Those are the working theories."
Since the scare, Hazel's story has spread around the neighborhood, and the Cables say there has been an outpouring of support.
Michelle Cable said two young boys from the neighborhood even stopped by to thank the pup in person.
"They brought her a bag of toys and said, 'Thank you for protecting us,'" Michelle said.
Hazel may not look like your typical guard dog, but this week, she proved her instincts are spot-on.
"She did her job," Michelle said. "She has that instinct to protect, and she did her job. Now she's getting a gold medal."
Holly Springs Police are asking anyone with information about the suspects or the white vehicle to come forward. They're also reminding residents to report any suspicious activity in the area as soon as possible.