Guv's pooches put the barks on break-in?

A short news story from the Daily News on 10.7.05:

BURGLARS who attempted to break into Gov. Rendell's East Falls home were scared off by a yapping 12-pound dog.

Either that or the Guv's smiling face on the family computer.

Police said Pennsylvania's first lady, Marjorie O. Rendell, a judge on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, returned to the family home about noon yesterday and found shattered glass on the den floor. A window at the rear of the house had been broken.

Nothing was stolen, according to the governor's press secretary, Kate Philips. The would-be thieves appeared to have been startled by something.

"It was either the family dogs or the family screen saver that scared the thieves off," joked Judge Rendell, Philips said.

Across the room from the broken window is a computer that features a screen-saver image of the governor, the first lady and their son, Jesse.

Philips said neighbors reported hearing the Rendells' dogs barking wildly at about 10 a.m.

The Rendells have two golden retrievers, 78-pound Mandy and 68-pound Ginger. Ginger became part of the family on Christmas 2003, rescued from a shelter.

Jesse's wire-thin, 12-pound miniature pinscher puppy, Nitro, was also in the house.

"Apparently, he made the most ruckus," Philips said.

No one was in the Rendell's three-story, 3,000-square-foot home at the time of the break-in.

On Wednesday Rendell was in Chicago, where he attended the American League Division Series playoff game between the White Sox and the Red Sox. He returned to Philadelphia early yesterday, went to a meeting and then drove to Harrisburg.
He learned about the attempted break-in while driving to the state Capitol, Philips said.

Judge Rendell had been at work since 9 a.m. and returned home with her state trooper escort at about noon. When the two saw the glass, they contacted Philadelphia police.

Police investigated the scene and dusted for fingerprints.

No injuries were reported.

The dogs are fine.