Posted on 01/10/2005 8:31:45 PM PST by Shermy
Jill Slevin didn't want to tell her kids Wednesday that she had pretty much given up hope of finding their dog Freddie alive.
The Pekingese mix had disappeared a week earlier. And an extensive search over the course of several below-zero nights had proved futile. "We had a lot of weepy eyes over the New Year's weekend," Slevin said Wednesday of her three children.
But then, miraculously, Freddie showed up at the door of their home north of Bozeman at noon Wednesday -- one week after he had disappeared.
He was covered with ice, riddled with bug bites and had cuts around his neck.
Slevin immediately put Freddie on a blanket and quickly took him to Valley View Veterinary Hospital, where veterinarian John McIlhattan checked out the wounded dog.
The cuts led McIlhattan to determine that the little dog had been picked up by an eagle. The marks were in fact caused by an eagle digging its talons into Freddie's neck.
The eagle likely dropped Freddie at some point, leaving the dog to find his way home. McIlhattan surmised that the dog then found some type of shelter and bedding to stay warm for a week. Whatever he was lying on, however, was likely infested with bugs, which bit his belly up terribly.
But the tradeoff was probably worth it because the bedding was vital for keeping Freddie warm, the vet said.
"He's a pretty lucky dog to be getting home in this kind of weather," he said.
He also said he was surprised how well the 13-year-old dog had endured his ordeal.
"He was chilled, but he seemed to be able to walk," McIlhattan said. "He seemed remarkably chipper for what he'd been through."
Freddie also suffered a scratch on the cornea, and lost three pounds.
He was last seen in a neighbor's driveway late in the afternoon of Wednesday, Dec. 29, Slevin said. The neighbors joined the Slevins in searching for the pooch for several days, but to no avail.
Slevin plastered town with posters and ran an ad in the Chronicle looking for any clues to Freddie's whereabouts, but no one had seen a thing.
Then, a week later, one of the family's other dogs began whimpering and barking. Slevin looked outside and discovered Freddie at the door.
By afternoon, Slevin's three children were busy pampering a sedated Freddie, stroking his head as the dog nursed his wounds while lying on a blanket.
"We're all just amazed," she said. "He's our miracle."
A Great Horned Owl tried to snatch my ex's teacup poodle. Poor little dog *LOL* (why am I laughing!)
Here's one for you......
Schadenfreude
Good doggie news ping.
We have three cats and live in a place where we see Bald Eagles every day. The eagles have lots of fish and crabs to eat, but I would rather the cats didn't "advertise their freshness."
/john
And she is still half grown. LOL.
Great for the dog. What a survivor.
Can't muster much delight though, when a guy I know is missing in Indonesia after the tsunami.
She'll (probably) calm down after she's been spayed. Probably.
FOFLOL
A neighbor had a new kitten and was showing it off to us. Put the kitten up on a fence to let it walk. Thre was a quick blur and the kitten was gone. A big Hawk swooped down and took it.
I think I'm trying to imagine the little shrimp getting grabbed by the owl *LOL*
Maybe the little doggie got a few bites in on the eagle!
That's one tough little dog.
Puppies are monsters till they are a year old.... yer half-way through it ;~D
Dog survives abduction by eagle : the Vikings will have no such luck ;)
A real 'eagle bites dog' story!
Makes darned good copy.
lol...
So was wierd nicht mal passieren.
Prayer for your friend.
I know of a lake in Pennsylvania with very large muskies (lurking, bottom-feeding fish). Well, half of this guy's family was already out in the first boat, just spending the day on the water, when the other half of the family came out on the second boat, with their new puppy.
No one on the first boat had seen the puppy yet, so they decided to let the little guy swim from one boat to another...maybe ten feet at the most.
Splish...splash...VAROMMPHH!
A musky at least five feet in length suddenly surfaced with jaws open, and the pup was never seen again.
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