The parents of baby Finn began to suspect something wasn't right. Either with their dog, or with the babysitter.
They'd never seen their beloved pet behave this way before. Something was clearly troubling their furry friend.
Suspicious behaviour from the dog
Killian, a Labrador and German Shepherd cross, became aggressive whenever the childminder was around the little boy.
"We noticed the dog became very defensive when Alexis was nearby. He'd growl and position himself between her and our son. The hair on his neck would stand up, and we knew something was wrong," the child's father, Benjamin Jordan, told ABCNews.
Before the family employed the 22-year-old babysitter, they'd checked her background and references thoroughly. Nothing raised any red flags. However, the dog's behaviour was deeply concerning. Killian, normally calm and friendly, became unrecognisable in the childminder's presence.
The shocking evidence
To discover what was happening, Finn's parents decided to use a clever trick. Before leaving for work, they left their phone with the voice recorder switched on, hidden under the sofa in the living room. What they heard on the recording was shocking.
The recording captured the childminder swearing and shouting at the baby. There were also sounds of hitting. The parents immediately took their son to hospital to check he wasn't injured. Thankfully, the little boy was fine.
The babysitter was charged with child abuse. During the trial, the woman pleaded guilty and was sentenced. It's hard to imagine how this story might have ended without the dog's vigilance.
We're so grateful that Killian protected little Finn when he needed it most.
