Westside : Dog Takes His Cue, Detains Theft Suspect

Lassie is retired and Rin Tin Tin is long gone, but that’s not to say you can’t find a good four-legged hero in Hollywood these days.

Doc the Rottweiler is basking in his 15 minutes of canine fame today for thwarting a man police say is a would-be thief. He’s not one of your glamour pooches, such as party animal Spuds MacKenzie or the ever-drooling Beethoven. No, Doc is a working dog who comes from a German breed, originally used for herding cattle, that’s known for its powerful bite.

Doc and his security guard owner were patrolling the parking lot of an apartment building near the Hollywood Bowl early Monday morning when they spotted a mysterious man allegedly breaking into a car, attempting to liberate its stereo system.

The unidentified guard approached the man and ordered him to stop, and the suspect reportedly threw the stereo at him, said Los Angeles Police Sgt. Jeff Bender.

That seems to have made Doc mad. The dog ran at the man, biting his arm and buttocks and holding him until police arrived.

Talk about taking a bite out of crime.

The suspect, Anthony Smith, 39, was arrested about 2:30 a.m., and was booked at Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollywood Division on suspicion of auto burglary. Police said that Smith, who is still in custody, was not seriously injured.