New Dog Barks Every Night, So Mom Sets Up A Camera To Find Out Why

A Stressful Situation

The family held each other’s hands tightly. They just wanted this to be over. Everything happened so fast that they felt like they couldn’t process it all.

They couldn’t leave until somebody gave them the go-ahead. As she gathered her children, she noticed that they were not all there.

An Old Dog

Amelia rubbed her 10-year-old dog, Poco on his head as she watched her favorite movie. Most people wouldn’t adopt of that age, but Amelia fell in love with him.

She wanted to make his last few years as comfortable as she could. She would soon learn how essential he would be for her family.

A Chilling Sound

Amelia savored her alone time in the evening. Her children were asleep, and she finally had some peace and quiet. She gave her sweet dog a kiss on his forehead and began getting ready for bed.

As Amelia got dressed for bed, she heard a very strange sound. The sound gave her chills, she never heard anything like it before.

Going Bezerk

Poco was barking uncontrollably. It wasn’t as if he was barking at a neighbor passing by, it sounded as if he was losing his mind! Poco had been a quiet dog who rarely made any noise, so this was strange.

She rushed downstairs as her heart pounded in her chest. She switched on all the lights to try and figure out what is causing him to act in this way.

Old Age

 She couldn’t see anything. There were no people passing by nor were there any animals wandering around. She double-checked all of the locks on the doors, and everything seemed to be okay.

She looked at her dog and sighed deeply. Her terror was quickly replaced by frustration. “Going crazy in your old age?” she laughed. She would soon realize that it was not the case at all.

The Problem Persisted

Poco’s strange behavior did not end there. Every single night, without fail, he would howl and bark for seemingly no reason. She began worrying that something serious was wrong. “Please don’t let it be rats,” she begged.

She knew that a few of her neighbors had a vermin problem a few weeks ago. There was no way that she would be able to afford an inspector. But then she realized that there was a way to discover what was going on.

Setting Up The Camera

She rushed to her cupboard and grabbed her camera. That evening, she placed the camera in the living room and kissed Poco goodnight before going to her room. She barely got into bed when Poco started going crazy again.

It took her a lot of self-control to not rush down and check on Poco. She needed to wait for the following morning for it to work. But then, she heard a very peculiar sound.

An Explanation

There was something above Amelia that she heard moving. Poco’s barking and the noises coming from the ceiling stopped her in her tracks.

She was relieved to realize it was probably a possum or raccoon that had breached the ceiling boards. In that case, Poco’s barking and the odd noises would make perfect sense. Unfortunately, she was wrong.

Another Noise

Suddenly, at about three o’clock in the morning, a loud noise jolted Amelia awake. The noise came from directly above her bed this time.

Upon hearing the faint noises coming from the ceiling and the clattering sounds close to her bed, her heart stopped. To her utter surprise, she realized it wasn’t a raccoon or possum at all.

Fear

In Amelia’s mouth, a metallic taste lingered. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she couldn’t breathe. This was like being immersed in an eerie movie.

Although she recognized that she was being controlled by her anxieties, she could not ignore the shouts of her senses. All that happened to her was a fact; it was not fiction.

Paranormal Activity?

Amelia was too terrified to even move, let alone go and investigate. She did what most people would do – she threw her blanket over her head and desperately tried to go back to sleep. 

The camera footage would reveal whatever Poco was barking at. But she’d have to wait until morning to get the answer.

Checking The Footage

As soon as sunlight filled her bedroom, she threw on her bathrobe and hurried downstairs. She grabbed the recorder and hit play – eager to know what the fuss was all about. 

At first, there was nothing. But when the yips started, she noticed movement. It started small and disappeared just out of frame. 

Leaves?!

The wind picked up and blew a bunch of leaves through an open window. Poco ran in circles. She rolled her eyes and stared at her crazy dog. Leaves?! 

Amelia was about to stop the video when something else came into frame. This time, it sent chills down her spine and pulled her stomach into her throat.

Going To The Neighbors

The mom bounded up the stairs, grabbed her kids, and then ran to the safety of next door. As she called the police and explained what she had seen, even her neighbors turned pale. 

The next question, however, made her cry. “Mom, where’s Poco?” Oh my god! She had forgotten him in the house!

First To Come Out

Sirens wailed as the police showed up. By then her and her kids were complete, crying wrecks. It only got worse when they tried to run in and save their dog, but she had to hold them back. 

How could she have forgotten him! One officer pulled something out of their home. They all held their breath.

Into The Attic

The officers had walked into the attic, but it didn’t take long for them to realize that something was very wrong. 

A foul, pungent smell hit them and they saw piles of garbage strewn all over the floor. All the old coats that Amelia kept up there were stacked next to the heating unit in the corner of the room. Then they saw it.

A Man

Something was lying on the floor, in the corner behind the boxes. It stirred as soon as the officers walked in. They all looked at each other in complete shock for a few seconds. 

Then, the man realized he’d been caught. He leaped up, but the officers were quicker. They restrained him and dragged him out of the house. 

Protective Poco

He was a large man. He struggled against the cops all the way into the cruiser. He was massive and angry. The next officer appeared, and this time he carried good news. 

Old Poco snarled and barked at the man – ready to bite him down to nothing. Amelia caught a glimpse of the man’s face and a terrible realization hit her.  The officer brought their dog over … as well as some shocking news.

Hiding Out

As the family held their best friend, Amelia listened with a wide, gaping mouth to the officer. The man was a wanted criminal and somehow had snuck into their attic to hide from the law. 

There he stayed night after night, sneaking out for bits of food and water. There was one final revelation.

She Knew Him

When Amelia saw the man’s angry face, she recognized him. But surely it wasn’t possible? 12 years ago, he had done a few odd jobs around this very house. 

The pair had dated briefly, but when she found out about his criminal record she quickly broke things off. How long had he been in the attic for? She felt absolutely sick. 

The Truth

The police searched the attic and made a terrifying discovery. The man had obviously been living there for weeks. 

“He had packed all the old coats and jackets into the heating unit and was sleeping in the heating unit,” Tracy explained. The police also found plastic cups, which the man had been using to relieve himself – but then, an even more frightening discovery was made.  

Spying

The man had adjusted the air vents in the ceiling so that he could watch Amelia while she slept. Shewas horrified when she realized he’d been spying on her for weeks. “It’s got me flabbergasted,” she said in an interview. “How can you look at someone through an air vent?” 

Even worse, nobody had any idea how the man had crept up into the attic. The only way in was through a hatch in the hallway, between the children’s bedrooms. 

Red Flags

The man Amelia had dated all those years ago had acted aggressively toward her when she broke up with him. He wanted a second chance, but Amelia refused, so he stole her truck. 

Amelia reported him for the theft and cops caught him. But he still wouldn’t let it go and continued to harass her from prison.

Letters

Amelia’s ex sent letters from prison, insisting that he’d changed and begging her for a second chance. When he was released, she tried to file a protection order against him. 

But nobody knew where he was, so the papers weren’t served. Then, she heard a rumor that he’d moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. But she found out where he actually was in the worst way possible. 

Intuition

Amelia had even gone as far as trying to get a protective order against the man, but even that hadn’t stopped him. She wished she had acted on her instincts sooner and listened to Poco when he told her something was wrong. 

“I had an intuition about it but I ignored it, I brushed it aside. I didn’t want to seem paranoid, but I should have trusted my instincts because I was right,” she said.

Shaken

Amelia felt shaken and horrified. She clutched Poco and her children tighter as they watched the police haul the man away. She couldn’t believe he’d been living in their home for weeks. 

She couldn’t stop thinking about what would have happened if Poco hadn’t alerted her to the intruder night after night. What would have happened?

One Thing For Sure

Theft…or worse. That’s what could have happened if she hadn’t listened to Poco and come up with the camera idea. It was a strange combination of nausea and relief. 

She looked down at their scruffy boy as he wagged his tail – already over the situation. There was one thing Amelia was certain about…

Meant To Be

Poco wasn’t just any old pooch looking for a loving family to spend the last of his years with. When they stood in that shelter, something had nagged at them that he was the one to take home. 

Now, Amelia understood why. He didn’t just bring joy into their lives. He had, quite literally, saved theirs.

Warning Signs

At first , stalking may seem harmless. The person may call you or send emails and text messages – all of which are perfectly legal. 

However, this behavior can quickly cross the line into stalking and harassment. If the behavior is frequent, the contact is unwanted, and it makes you feel uncomfortable or threatened, get the police involved. 

What To Do

Divorced or separated spouses and exes commonly experience being stalked by their ex-partners. If you are ever in this situation, the best thing to do is get the police involved as soon as possible.

Surround yourself with supportive people and tell everyone what’s going on. You should also always have a safety plan if things go wrong.