papascull,
Thanks for your service to our country (I work with a lot of guys with dolphins on their chest, and I worked at MINSY for a while).
You do have to be SO careful, no matter where you live with these little guys. I am in Northern VA suburbs and have seen a cyote once in my back yard, it was shocking. Although it only happened once, we do have many hawks and rabid racoons around here.
Anyway, that must have been a terrible thing for your wife to see. I still think about my first yorkie who passed away at 15 years old every single day (and that was 2 years ago) but they are all so very special and unique. I like to believe that they will be there for us when its our time.