GERMANTOWN, Tenn. — A case of stranger danger has parents & pet owners on alert in Germantown.

A pit bull mix puppy was at the center of a bizarre encounter near Kimbrough and Wolf River. A young boy was walking the dog when he says a silver honda pulled up with three people inside

“The gentleman in the back rolled down his window and said, ‘Hey, what kinda dog do you have?'” the boy’s mother, who asked not to be identified, said.

Despite her son’s young age, she said he got bad vibes from the people and tried to walk away, but they weren’t done.

“The guy opened the door and tried to call the dog into the car,” the woman said. “My son wasn’t going to leave the dog, if you got the dog to come over to you, my son was going to come, too.”

Fortunately, the dog must have gotten a bad vibe too and didn’t go. The boy ran to a neighbor’s house and called his mom.

As word spread through the neighborhood, others have come forward, saying they saw the trio driving slowly down streets, and talking to kids, but why?

“Honestly, I don’t know if they’re after the kid or the dog, but either way,” one neighbor said.