Anyone who has watched a nature documentary knows that the animal kingdom isn’t always pretty. The fact of life is that smaller animals often fall prey to hungry predators.
Thankfully, our pet cats and dogs are usually safe from being another creature’s dinner — but even they come face-to-face with some predators sometimes, right in our own backyards.
That was nearly the fate of one woman’s little puppy, who was nearly swooped up by a hawk — but she wasn’t going to let that happen.
Kathryn Garver, from Missouri City, Texas, was stunned when her 12-week-old Chihuahua puppy, Lola, was suddenly grabbed by a red-tailed hawk.
“I didn’t even see it until it was right on top of her,” Kathryn told KHOU 11. “That’s how fast it happened.”
While it’s rare, birds-of-prey like hawks and owls have been known to swoop up small household pets from their yards if given the chance. While most pets are too heavy for a bird to pick up, the tiny Chihuahua puppy was deemed snack-sized for the hungry hawk.
But the predator didn’t get away with Lola. The hawk missed its target, and Kathryn, seeing the attempted attack from a few feet away, rushed in to intervene.
She told KHOU that she could see the hawk in the tree, waiting for another chance at attack, but she chased the puppy away to safety.
Lola is now safe — and Kathryn will certainly be on guard for more attacks. Experts say that while hawk attacks are rare, it is always a good idea to keep an eye on your pets, especially the smaller ones.
“It’s a possibility that the hawk could’ve grabbed the dog and could’ve done some damage, possibly even killed the dog, but this is a very rare occurrence for hawks,” Brooke Yahney of the Wildlife Center of Texas told KHOU, adding that other unleashed pets could also pose a likelier danger.
We’re so glad that Lola is safe! While bird attacks like this are rare, they can happen, so remember to keep an eye on your small pups!
Share this story!
We Love Animals is now on Instagram! Follow us today for lots of adorable animal pics and great stories!
