Guard Your Rat-shaped Dogs
An Overheardian shares a terrifying tale of more animal antics in the Park Cities (photo dramatization added):
This morning a big hawk came swooping out of the sky and tried SEVERAL TIMES to get my chihuahua. The hawk came after me when I managed to scoop my dog up and run for the back door. Max was outside for a very few minutes and thank goodness I 
happened to be watching him. This bird was extraordinarily aggressive and came back time after time, and even running, screaming, flapping my arms like a wild woman didn’t scare the hawk. When I came out with the dog several minutes later, thinking the hawk was gone, as soon as I put Max down at my feet, the bird came back. It still came dive-bombing with her talons ready and chased me again. It took me a while to find my camera, but that hawk was just sitting in my Elm tree in my back yard. It was not scared of me at all and just stared down at me while I took its picture. It was huge with a 3-4 feet wing span and I think it is a female red-shouldered hawk. Please consider putting something in your newspaper or on the website or both! about this predator and the danger of leaving small pets outside. I am sure my pet would have been gone forever if I had not been watching and very near to him.
The photos really bring the story home, Jason. Good illustrating!
Those are powerful images, that dog’s fear is palpable. We could have a serial hawk problem, though. I have a Japanese garden in my backyard and my goldfish are disappearing.
Here’s a possible clue to the disappearance of my fish: my Captcha words are night and flutter.Coincidence or clue?
Kersten, I had a pond…total disaster. Check out the December issue of D… You could have racoons or possums (most likely), but if you live on a creek, there are blue herrons around. I had a similar issue with my chihuahua, but with blue jays, who are totally mean.
was said hawk wearing a tennis skirt?
Amanda, thanks for the tip. As they say in Oklahoma, them’s good eatin’ so maybe I’ll try to catch those varmints and make a fricassee.
ck, it’s cougars who wear tennis skirts, not hawks. Get your predators straight. : )