Another happy ending because of watchful owners. I'm glad Odie was okay.
I hope a whole lot of folks watch their critters more closely. Now that's a new one to me.
) there are a handful of small breed dogs who are left outside to roam unattended. I can't imagine, with all the wildlife and larger roving dogs around here just setting your 10 pound or less dog free outside to do whatever. 
I think that was Michigan and they had a photo of a bear wrangling a feeder Put away birdfeeders to keep bears from visiting your yards, DNR warns | MLive.com
That is a false statement for the most part. Eagles can carry a few pounds although I have my doubts they can carry 10lb. Most hawks can carry less than 3lb. I've never had a hawk fly away trailing a 2lb weight. They can attack things that are heavier and pin them to the ground, but they can't carry them away. I've had my own hawk catch 3lb rabbits and try to carry them away from the dog and not be able to do more than just drag it under a bush on foot.
Good to know! Also, I Googled it and found it's a common myth as per the website below: 10,000 Birds | Can A Hawk Carry Off Your 12-Pound Pet?
Yep, that was the story I read!
That's the website I like to post on facebook. The video is funny. People in general need to calm down about hawks. Anyone with small dogs needs to go out with them. In all likelihood, hawks are the least of the things likely to harm a small dog. Supposedly coopers hawks will often drop birds if they fight back. I've known falconer's whose kestrel was killed by coopers hawks and others who saw the coops fly away with the kestrel only to track down the kestrel and find it alive later. Kestrels can bite and make it very uncomfortable to hold on to them. As can a parrot. The parrot in a harness is not likely to disembodied and carried away in pieces. We are talking about a quick grab and if not able to fly away with it due to the harness being attached to the human, the hawk will release it and fly away. Of course, damage can still be done. If you really want to harness a little bird and take them out and about, you are very likely to be okay so long as you keep the little guy on your person. If you try to extend the leash, walk away and do recall training, you up the risk. It would be a rare coopers hawk that would be so brave as to snatch a conure from a person's shoulder. Not saying it would never, happen, just unlikely. Probably more likely mid to late summer when hungry juveniles are desperate for food and freshly liberated from their parent's care.
I don't know what kind of hawk it was that took Pistachio from my shoulder, but I have read that hawks usually break the necks of their prey on contact. I am certain that was the case with Pistachio as his body was limp the entire time we chased the hawk, every time it landed, and for as long as we were able to keep it in sight. I knew that if we were able to get him back we would just be recovering his body at that point. I agree that he would not have been disembodied had he been in a harness, but I also agree that the damage would have clearly been done.
I'm hurting for your heartbreak.
