Dog 'takes bullet to save family'

A heroic German Shepherd has died in the US while protecting a woman and three children from a bullet.

The dog, named Noah, was killed after a gunman opened fire during a violent road rage incident on Friday in Atlanta.

Witnesses say Noah jumped out of the passenger window in an attempt to stop the attacker.

The gunman, who followed the family’s car off the road and into the mall, hit Noah who later died in nearby alleyway.

"The dog, I guess, jumped in front of the bullet to save one of the children and the wife," a witness told WXIA.

"They were fired upon and their family was terrorized," Atlanta police Sgt. Gregory Lyon told WXIA.

"They survived that only to find that their pet is now gone. It's sad for the whole family."

Noah’s heroic act meant everyone in the car walked away unharmed.

Police are now hunting the shooter and the blue-gray Taurus he was believed to have been driving.