Athena, a 7-year-old pit bull, is being credited with protecting her family during a frightening attack at a Minneapolis home. Her owner, Maria Grant, says Athena helped keep her children safe.

Grant said the intruder, a man she knew and had previously hired for yard work and dog walking, attacked her with a hammer before trying to go upstairs, where her young children were sleeping. Athena reportedly bit the intruder, stopping him from reaching the children. The suspect later sought medical treatment for dog-bite injuries, according to charging documents.