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Subject:

Hawk Attacks Dog

From:

Winger and June West

Reply-To:

Winger and June West

Date:

Fri, 3 Feb 2006 18:14:55 -0500

An article in The Capital, 3 February 2006, may be of interest to some small dog owners now that hawks seem to be increasing in city/residential areas and with coyotes soon coming our way.  Any guess what species was the culprit?

Winger West
Milleresville, MD
 

Girl's tiny dog survives an attack by a hawk in front yard  By SHANTEE WOODARDS Staff Writer 

An ordinary trip to the front yard turned into a bloody battle against nature last week for an Annapolis Roads teenager and her 4-pound Chihuahua. 

Fifteen-year-old Brittany Woodall had Sinbad out in their Carrollton Road yard on Saturday when a large hawk swooped down, dug its claws into the dog's neck and tried to fly away with him.
My adrenalin went up and I didn't think about it," Brittany said. "I thought, no way is he going to fly away with my dog."
" Brittany grabbed the back of the bird, and she and her mother, Aracelly, were eventually able to fight off the raptor and rush a frantic Sinbad inside. But the bird's claws had already done some damage and blood was squirting out of Sinbad's left eye.
They wrapped his eye in paper towels and took him to the veterinarian, where he was placed on a series of antibiotics and eye ointment.
"If it wasn't for my daughter, we wouldn't still have a dog," John Woodall said. "I've been here 10 years and I've seen the hawks pick up rabbits. I never thought they'd get him because he's so fast."
Animal experts said birds of prey tend to be attracted to small animals such as squirrels and cats. But having a person nearby usually deters them from attacking.
"You don't hear about it every day, certainly," said Karina Blizzard of the Department of Natural Resources. "They tend to be more aggressive if it's a female that has a nest nearby. You hear about it more often when the animals aren't leashed."
The incidents aren't limited to animals. Last May, for instance, a red-tailed hawk hit a man in the head as he walked along Old Admiral Court in Annapolis.
The best thing to do in these situations is to make a commotion to scare the bird away, Ms. Blizzard said. It's also wise to stay away from baby birds, since the attacks could stem from mothers trying to protect their young, officials said.
While Sinbad is recovering, he's been acting strangely, the Woodalls said. Shortly after the incident, he was unresponsive to family members as if he didn't recognize them, Brittany said. Now when he goes outside with Brittany, he just clings to her leg.
"Now I can't sleep," Brittany said. "I just have all these images of the hawk with his wings. I hope this doesn't happen to anyone else."
Descriptions of Sinbad's attacker vary. Brittany said the hawk looked like an eagle, but her 9-year-old brother, Alex, said it looked like an owl. He was either brown or gray, with a 4-foot wingspan.
A few hours after the hawk tried to snack on Sinbad, Mr. Woodall saw the bird sitting on a branch of a tree next to their home, stalking a squirrel. He stayed there at least 20 minutes.
"He was a big one," Mr. Woodall said.