It's been quite a while since I last posted here and I'm not sure if I'm still welcome, however since this is a serious story, here my reply:
I'm the wife / mother in this story. Regarding Rocky's questions:
no, they did not know my dogs - nobody, except the neighbour I called that night for help, knows them and can enter without getting bitten.
no, they did not kill the dogs, they have cuts and bruises, but they will be ok.
no, I did not regocnize the thieves, it was less than a second that I actually saw them while I was in panick and shock, but I'm pretty sure that I have never seen them before in my life.
Beads, all your advise is great. However, we have lived here in the DR for 12 years, we know about the 'general rules of being careful' and always lived by the rules. We never have any workers at our place, we do all our handywork ourselves, have been always extreamly careful in deciding who to invite to our place.
Also, there have been several robberies in the last weeks / months in the Cabarete area, I spoke in the last days to some of the houseowners being robbed, it's quite sure that this gang has done serveral of this robberies, descriptions match. So, they were not specially after something in our house or specially after us.
They seem to be focused on laptops and other small items they can carry and escape quickly with.
Mirador, that's how we live now, cell phones, walky talkies, mace spray and other 'toys' 24/7 handy and ready to use.
I'm posting here only because I want to let people in the area know to be extremely careful and aware. This guys have robbed other places before and I would say it's very unlikely that they will stop robbing others before getting caught. They are armed with machetes and 2 pistols, which I heard in other robberies they have used. I was extreamly lucky to get away from them with my daughter into safety - from the way how they acted I'm absolutely sure they would not have hesitated to harm or even kill me.
Noise, lights and dogs does NOT stop them. Until last week I would have totally agreed with Rocky, good dogs are great for protection - it was a mistake to think so.
It was an extreamly terrifying experience and I will need a long time to get over this. I'm worried that they might come back, and I 'm worried, that others have to go through the same or even worst than I did. Sorry to be so negative, but there is just no nice way to describe this very dangerous situation we are in at the moment. Please be careful out there.