Beaufort man returns home to find intoxicated stranger kicking his dog, deputies say

A man told deputies he returned to his Beaufort home from the gas station on Friday to find a stranger in his yard kicking his dog, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff's Office report.

The dog was left outside with an electronic fence around the yard, the report states. The man said he approached the stranger — who appeared intoxicated. The stranger attempted to attack the man, the report states.

The man punched the stranger in the face in self-defense, the report states. The stranger also was bitten by the dog, according to the report.

Those who lived at the house said the dog has never attacked anyone before.

The report states the man would not tell police why he was in the yard or why the dog bit him.