Dogs may be fearless and daring, but they can still be vulnerable to certain dangers. This is especially true for smaller pooches.
A tiny Yorkie named Coco faced a terrifying moment while he was outside her family home. A massive bald eagle attacked her, obviously intent on taking her as prey. Thankfully, Coco managed to escape the sharp clutches of the giant bird.
A narrow escape
A short clip recorded by a doorbell camera showed how the eight-month-old Yorkie was attacked by the bald eagle. The bird abruptly swooped down and picked up the dog. Coco, in turn, screamed.
Both animals disappeared from the camera’s view. The next moment, Coco reappeared and bolted towards the door.
Justin Dudoward, Coco’s dad, recounted the event. Apparently, he let the pup out and went back inside the house. His daughter then started screaming when the bald eagle grabbed the dog. Justin said that they didn’t know how bad the situation was until they looked at the video recorded by the doorbell camera.
In addition to some scrapes and scratches, Coco suffered a laceration on her stomach that required immediate veterinary care. Fortunately, the brave pup was back to her old self like nothing happened three days later.
How to protect your pet dog from birds of prey
Coco’s situation was not unique. Small dogs have always been victims of large birds of prey, such as eagles, red-tailed hawks, and even owls.
To keep birds of prey off your property, you need to make sure that your grounds are clean. Remove debris that serves as hiding spots for prey, such as mice, frogs, and even snakes. Likewise, you may want to remove bird feeders, as they also attract squirrels and chipmunks.
Discourage birds of prey from breeding near or within your yard. You can do this by pruning the trees and plants around.
If the measures above appear futile, you may want to seek the help of pest control or wildlife professionals.
Source: USA Today via YouTube
