There’s a scene from the 2009 Sandra Bullock film The Proposal in which an eagle grabs a tiny dog while the actress frantically tries to get it back (spoiler alert: she does). In the movie, it’s purely for comedy, yet this kind of strange occurrence is more possible than you’d think.
Recently in Missouri City, Texas, a red-tailed hawk came scarily close to flying off with a family’s Chihuahua. 12-week old Lola only weighs about 4 pounds, which is a size the red-tailed hawk can definitely handle.
Kathryn Garver, Lola’s shaken mom, shared with KHOU:
“I didn’t even see it until it was right on top of her. That’s how fast it happened. There was nothing I could’ve done to have stopped it. Because I didn’t see it until it was already, she would’ve already been gone.”
The Almost Attack Captured On Video
The moment the hawk went after little Lola was captured on a security camera. In the harrowing video, you can see the hawk swoop in, silently and swiftly, from several feet away.
Fortunately, the hawk misses the pup as she jumps forward, and Garver comes rushing onto the scene. In the terrifying moment, Garver thought the hawk may have gotten ahold of her baby.
“It felt like he was right there and just, it was so fast. It just happened so fast, and I honestly thought he had gotten her.”
Lucky for all but the hawk, it missed Lola, and she’s perfectly okay (though a bit disturbed by the incident). The hawk remained eerily nearby, hoping to get another shot.
“I’m chasing her because she’s freaking out and so I grab her, and that’s whenever I see that he’s still in the tree.”
Watch the entire video below (if you can handle it):
Y’ALL. THIS VIDEO. 😳😳 WATCH as a red-tailed hawk tries to go after this little 4lb Chihuahua. Luckily, 12-week-old Lola is okay. We speak with the pup’s mom on @KHOU at 10. pic.twitter.com/id4gQOSbTN
— Janelle Bludau (@JanelleKHOU) November 27, 2021
An Uncommon But Still Possible Event
Hawks and other large birds of prey don’t often go after dogs and cats, but as the video shows, it is possible if they’re small like Lola. Brooke Yahney with the Wildlife Center of Texas told KHOU:
“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.”
In any case, it’s best not to leave your animals unattended in the yard, especially if they’re 5 pounds or less. Beyond just hawks and eagles, humans and dogs share the planet with many predators, which can even include larger dogs.
Garver, whose previous dog was mauled by a larger dog, will certainly be keeping a much closer eye on Lola going forward.
H/T: KHOU 11
Featured Image: Twitter
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