Great Dane in Car Sends Car Thief Running

LONDON, Dec. 19, 2007 — -- A thief hoping to drive off with a Toyota sport utility vehicle in the English town of Brixham, Devon, had an unexpected scare when he took off with the car, only to discover a gigantic Great Dane sleeping in the back seat.

Diesel, who stands 6 feet tall on his hind legs, was dozing in the back of the car when a thief broke into the SUV and attempted to drive it away.

But before he could get very far, the 11-month-old Diesel woke up, forcing the driver to a halt outside the Brixham Rugby Club where police found the abandoned vehicle hours later.

The dog's owner, Nick Briggs, 41, told the South West News agency that the thief would not have been able to see Diesel before entering the car, because the windows were steamed up due to rains.

Briggs said, however, he would "love to have seen the look on his face when he saw Diesel in the mirror. He must have got the shock of his life."

The thief broke into the car when Briggs' wife, Karen, 41, left the keys inside the ignition as she stepped out to pick up their children, 10-year-old Max and 6-year-old Cody, from school.

When ABC News contacted the Brixham police, a spokesman confirmed that "a car matching that description was stolen recently, with a dog in the back seat."

"The thinking is," he said, "that the sight of the dog caused the thief to panic and abandon the car."

The final twist in this tale is that, as Briggs told the South West News agency, "Diesel is a big softie. He wouldn't harm a fly. He's a lovely dog, not at all nasty."

Although his bark may well be worse than his bite, this dog seems to have been just as effective as a car alarm.