A woman was hit with a bat and threatened with a machete in a terrifying armed burglary in Salford.
Four masked men broke into a property on New Street in Swinton at around 5am on Thursday (July 1).
They threatened a man and woman inside the house with a machete and a knife.
The woman was also struck with a bat.
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During the incident, the victim's dog, a male Chihuahua called Bhoot, either escaped or was taken, though this is not yet clear, GMP officers say.
The victims received superficial injuries during the attack and have been left shaken.
Detective Sergeant Zoe Marsden, of Greater Manchester Police's Salford division said: "This is a shocking incident and our specialist officers are continuing to support the man and woman who are understandably shaken by this incident that took place in their own home.
"This will no doubt be of concern to local people and also to local dog owners, however our investigations so far indicate that the potential theft of the dog was not a primary intention.
"We're working hard to establish the motives behind this attack and to reassure local residents, we have increased patrols in the area as our enquiries continue."
No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing.
Anyone with information about the incident or the whereabouts of the dog should call police on 0161 856 5351, quoting incident 410 of 01/07/2021.
You can also report online or by using the LiveChat function at www.gmp.police.uk .
Alternatively, call 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
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