Birds of prey have been targeting small dogs in London, injuring animals and leaving owners shocked.
Vets in Chelsea, an upmarket area of England's capital, have recently treated three small dogs which have been attacked by hawks, leaving them with bleeding wounds.
Miniature dachshunds have also been targeted in prestigious London addresses like Belgravia.
The huge hawks, which grow to about 50cm tall, are meant to control pigeons in the city by scaring them and are not supposed to attack any animals.
But in a recent incident, a hawk swooped on a four-month-old Jack Russell puppy and tried to carry it away, the Telegraph newspaper reports.
Rebecca Walsh was walking her puppy Fleur in Millbank Gardens two weeks ago when her it was attacked.
"It swooped down on its prey like in the wildlife programs," she said.
Miss Walsh held onto Fleur to stop the hawk from lifting her off the ground.
"The hawk really dug its talons in. There was blood everywhere, in Fleur's mouth and on her nose," she said.
Fleur was rushed to the vet and treated immediately. She has made a full recovery.
The pest control company responsible for the hawk paid the vet bills but insists the attack was a freak accident.
Harris hawk owner Nick Robertson insists the birds are not trying to kill the small dogs but are attacking out of fear.
His hawk attacked a dachshund 18 months ago and he claims the bird remains traumatised by the event and has not been used for pigeon control since.
The Greater London Authority uses the hawks around busy central areas to scare off pigeons at a cost of around $90,000 per year.
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