It was a hawk!

[Yorkiemom1]

I was told they hit the dog (any prey) with such force as to break their backs.....they are unresponsive and do not feel the terror...but I would bet everything I own, my little Christy was looking back at me for help....so I do not know if they were just telling me that to make me feel better about my horror of my precious little dog being carried away...maybe it was jy minds eye playing tricks on me about her looking back at me for help....all I know is these wretched birds pose a clear and present danger to your little baby! YES, YOU PREDATORY BIRD LOVERS, I SAID WRETCHED!!!

[bijoux1]

I'm just so sorry you ever had to go through such an absolute LIVING NIGHTMARE!!! Between the snakes we have had here... I have seen a few...had a scare today with thinking one of my babies had been bitten, and now these horrible birds to worry about...any and all joy of going outside for our daily play time in the yard is gone for me!! I am literally scared to even take them outside now tonight in the dark to go potty before bed. I've quite taking them all at once at night, and I take one at a time so that I can stand right there literally two inches from them.

[mamaj]

This is so scary. I have seen owls and hawks in my yard. My pup will be potty pad trained. I have an exercise pen for her, but snakes can get in, and I will cover the top with a sheet tied down so birds will leave her alone. Snakes tho, I don`t know. Sorry to hear about the babies that got carried away. That must have been like a horror story.

[Trishe]

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1

Years ago, I had my Chi scooped up from my back yard, in daylight (around 6pm), within 10 feet of me, by an owl, another predator bird. That is the most helpless, horrible feeling I have ever had in my life...I couldnt even move as I watched that BIRD carry my precious little Christy off, her struggling to get free and LOOKING BACK AT ME FOR HELP!!!! I have NEVER forgotten that, I NEVER will get that heartbreaking sight out of my mind. No one had ever told me BIRDS carry dogs off from a neighborhood...I didnt know owls were out before dark....my husband said it was a hawk...I dont know for sure which it was, all I still see is splotched dark and grey feathers, HUGE wing span, and long black talons.....that was way back early 70's, and I have been on high alert about terror from the skys every day since then. I have had hawks and owls dive at my dogs in the back yard here...I do not live in a rural area! I used to have a hawk sit on my fence and stare at my back door, just waiting for me to put my babies outside! I finally got animated owls and hung them all over the back yard...that seemed to scare the hawks off, as I have not seen any lately....but my dogs are not ever out alone, off leash....I even called the Houston Zoo and spoke with one of the bird experts there...I wanted to know if hawks and owls saw color....she said yes, and she told me those little dogs look like rabbits....so I put neon orange vests on them when they are outside.....and she continually cautioned me that these birds are protected by the State of Texas and I can be fined or do jail time if I shoot one.

I am so sorry this happened to you. That must have been the most helpless you have ever felt. I just could not even imagine what you went through.
It scares me to death to be outside with Bailey with those 2 hawks hanging around. I'm about to go get some fireworks and light them off every time I see them!

[Bitsy]

We have a barre owl stalking our bird feeder in our back yard....this thing has a wing span of about 3 feet. We have all kinds of hawks around here as well. My husband saw a bald eagle (yes! an American bald eagle!) with his fresh kill, a rabbit, just a few miles from our house.

The birds of prey are getting a bit crazy around here. We are not letting our pups outside without a leash. They love to walk around the pool on the back patio, but we are not going to risk it for a while...if ever.

[Bitsy]

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1

Years ago, I had my Chi scooped up from my back yard, in daylight (around 6pm), within 10 feet of me, by an owl, another predator bird. That is the most helpless, horrible feeling I have ever had in my life...I couldnt even move as I watched that BIRD carry my precious little Christy off, her struggling to get free and LOOKING BACK AT ME FOR HELP!!!! I have NEVER forgotten that, I NEVER will get that heartbreaking sight out of my mind. No one had ever told me BIRDS carry dogs off from a neighborhood...I didnt know owls were out before dark....my husband said it was a hawk...I dont know for sure which it was, all I still see is splotched dark and grey feathers, HUGE wing span, and long black talons.....that was way back early 70's, and I have been on high alert about terror from the skys every day since then. I have had hawks and owls dive at my dogs in the back yard here...I do not live in a rural area! I used to have a hawk sit on my fence and stare at my back door, just waiting for me to put my babies outside! I finally got animated owls and hung them all over the back yard...that seemed to scare the hawks off, as I have not seen any lately....but my dogs are not ever out alone, off leash....I even called the Houston Zoo and spoke with one of the bird experts there...I wanted to know if hawks and owls saw color....she said yes, and she told me those little dogs look like rabbits....so I put neon orange vests on them when they are outside.....and she continually cautioned me that these birds are protected by the State of Texas and I can be fined or do jail time if I shoot one.

Oh, I am so very sorry. That is awful. Thank you for sharing...it just reinforces my decision to not let my little ones outside without the leash on.

(I forgot to mention in my other post, we have seen a falcon as well. It really is just crazy.)

[mugwee1]

I am so sorry you lost your precious Christy to a hawk. I can not phantom the pain and misery that is in your heart seeing your precious baby carried away like that. And you being soing helpless that you could do nothing my heart grieves for you. I live in the fabulious town of Chambersburg pa. Which we have a pigeon problem, which nearly every town has. About 5 year's ago the borough thought it was a bright Idea to release hawk's to take care of the pigeon problem. Needless to say we don't see as many pigeons but now we have a hawk problem. You can not let your pups out unless you are right on top of them they sit in the big pines all the time. I seen one swoop down and take a grey squirrel right off the side of a tree such screaming that little squirrel did and I felt so helpless and they are alway's after the birds. I watch my babies all the time but if one was to take one there is nothing you can do. I personally would Prefer pigeon's instead of the hawk's but we had no say.

[bijoux1]

Well, I do not let my dogs go outside alone ever even though I do have a fenced in back yard... Recently I had seen what I thought was a hawk, and it indeed was. This morning I was outside with my babies, and I look up and the hawk is right above us circling my tiny back yard.... The have to go to the bathroom so I literally picked up everyone but one..and I allowed one dog to go at a time with me standing right on top of them...and that hawk still with me right there continually kept circling lower and lower!!!

As many of you know, I have had an instance with snakes in past few weeks and now I have to constantly every second be worried about this hawk. Well tonight I saw one of my neighbors who also has a small dog, I asked them about the hawk bc I wanted to make sure it was indeed a hawk...They have also seen it, and they did confirm that it is a huge hawk!!

I am to the point that I am terrified to go outside with them, and going outside for our little walks and our daily scheduled playtime used to be one of the favorite things of my day!!!

I've had my boyfriend laughing saying there is no way it is a hawk, but I have definitely seen it looked it up on the internet, and now another couple down the street has confirmed that it is most certainly a hawk.. It sits perched on their fence watching their dog in the front yard!!

[bijoux1]

Does anyone know anything to deter hawks away from my yard area. This started out that I really thought it was a hawk that swooped down for my tiniest not even three pound baby a few weeks ago.. I wasn't positive then looked up hawk sounds on the internet and sure enough it was the exact call I keep hearing when we are outside. Well, I have since seen them (multiple now!!) on several occasions.

I just came inside from the fenced in backyard...(which I specifically have for the dogs!) I heard something ..looked up and there were FIVE hawks circling above us.... Bijou was right there beside me... at most two feet from me..but on a leash.

However, the hawks clearly saw all of us out there and were stalking us. I have three little ones (2 are my forever babies, and one is my foster baby) This has gotten to the point that I am terrified to take the dogs outside to use the bathroom. I honestly am literally petrified. Will they stay away as long as I am standing right there... because honestly they don't seem to be too concerned about me. So, what is happening is once they start just circling us like that I scoop everybody up and head inside.... but my babies aren't even being able to go potty alot of times before this is happening ...which is creating a HUGE problem in and of itself!!! However, I will deal with this all day every day before I chance having one of them scooped up by a hawk....I am truly at my wits end.

And perhaps I am being too cautious which if anyone knows about all of this please let me know. By too cautious, I do not mean that my dogs will EVER be in the backyard alone...that just won't happen. But, am I overreacting to be this scared when I am standing right there? I have read that seeing a human with the dog every time will eventually scare them off, but it hasn't. They have circled above us like that for days on end.

Additionally, I did put some owls out, but it doesn't seem to have phased them in the least. Please help if you know anything to do!!

[bijoux1]

Which also BTW, in the one instance where the hawk did very much seem to be coming toward my Bijou a few weeks ago, I just out of sheer panic screamed and stomped and flailed my arms around to try to make myself look as huge as possible.. so this seemed to work, but I have no idea if that is really supposed to scare them off or not.... It did in that one instance, but I certainly would like to know anything else that anyone knows to do... because as it is, my dogs...even with me with them, will NOT be going outside with me the rest of the day at all.

[BiewerYorkie]

Oh DO be careful!!! They WILL carry one of them off!!!

[mimimomo]

Originally Posted by bijoux1

Does anyone know anything to deter hawks away from my yard area. This started out that I really thought it was a hawk that swooped down for my tiniest not even three pound baby a few weeks ago.. I wasn't positive then looked up hawk sounds on the internet and sure enough it was the exact call I keep hearing when we are outside. Well, I have since seen them (multiple now!!) on several occasions.

I just came inside from the fenced in backyard...(which I specifically have for the dogs!) I heard something ..looked up and there were FIVE hawks circling above us.... Bijou was right there beside me... at most two feet from me..but on a leash.

However, the hawks clearly saw all of us out there and were stalking us. I have three little ones (2 are my forever babies, and one is my foster baby) This has gotten to the point that I am terrified to take the dogs outside to use the bathroom. I honestly am literally petrified. Will they stay away as long as I am standing right there... because honestly they don't seem to be too concerned about me. So, what is happening is once they start just circling us like that I scoop everybody up and head inside.... but my babies aren't even being able to go potty alot of times before this is happening ...which is creating a HUGE problem in and of itself!!! However, I will deal with this all day every day before I chance having one of them scooped up by a hawk....I am truly at my wits end.

And perhaps I am being too cautious which if anyone knows about all of this please let me know. By too cautious, I do not mean that my dogs will EVER be in the backyard alone...that just won't happen. But, am I overreacting to be this scared when I am standing right there? I have read that seeing a human with the dog every time will eventually scare them off, but it hasn't. They have circled above us like that for days on end.

Additionally, I did put some owls out, but it doesn't seem to have phased them in the least. Please help if you know anything to do!!

According to wikipedia, hawks breed in the months of March or April, so they have chicks (eyasses) to feed...it's very dangerous to go outside right now if there's hawks in your area.

Can you possibly build an enclosure so they can potty safely outside? Hope you'll find a safer solution, stay safe!

[bijoux1]

Thank you for the info!! I didn't realize they had just bred!! I was outside...by myself today, and there they were watching my back yard....I'm actually in the middle of re-doing another home I bought that is in my neighborhood...so I will be moving very soon, and I hate to build it here...but I am definitely checking into having one put in my other home... I'm going to have to....they just can't play outside as it is because I am too scared!! So again thanks!