Friday, November 09, 2007
Florida Dog Owners Fear Flying Menace
GULF BREEZE, Fla. Move over coyotes. Some northwest Florida residents are worried because they believe hawks are swooping down from the sky and attacking their small dogs.
Gulf Breeze residents have seen their pets fall victim to coyotes before, and the city even sets traps to control their population.
Martha Powers said she began yelling after seeing a large bird flying down toward her dog. The bird turned away. And Caren Gardner believes that her 3-pound Pomeranian was taken by a hawk last year 'within minutes' after she let her out to play.
Local veterinarians don't believe pet owners should be too worried about birds flying off with their pets because the problem isn't all that common.
Doctor Lorrie Rhodus from the Animal Medical Center said she has seen the problem before. She said that three years ago a woman brought in a dog that had been attacked by a hawk.
The owner said the small dog was probably too heavy for the bird to handle, and it dropped the canine. The dog was severly injured and had to undergo surgery, Rhodus said.
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