A woman claims her dog has been "extremely lucky" after a hawk swooped down and tried to snatch him.
The Shih Tzu-cavalier cross, named Hudson, fled for his life when the bird of prey dived down while he was being walked in Barnes Park, Sunderland.
Owner Lauren Davis, 28, said the story is similar to that of Gizmo the chihuahua, who was snatched by a seagull this summer, reports Chronicle Live .
She said: "Craig [her husband] saw a large black thing coming down from the trees when he was out with the dog this morning, but it was too quick to catch what it was.
"The dog immediately bolted off, he was terrified still when he got home and was sat waiting by the back gate when my husband found him."
After researching online, Craig discovered a Facebook page stating a hawk had been spotted by several locals - with some people posting pictures of it in the trees.
After returning later with her husband, Lauren added: "There were lots of dog owners in the park standing around looking up into the trees and many of the dogs were visibly distressed."
The couple are convinced that the same hawk made a beeline for Hudson, with Lauren admitting it may have had sinister motives for swooping.
"Maybe it was hungry," she said.
She's now issued a warning to other local dog walkers to be "extra vigilant".
"Keep your dog on a lead at all times until you know the hawk has been captured," she urged.
It comes months after chihuahua Gizmo is thought to have been snatched by a seagull in Devon.
Weighing up to a kilo with a huge wingspan, harris hawks - which are day hunters - could pose a problem to a smaller dog as they are known to feast on rodents and rabbits.
"This was actually a bird of prey, so I'm just happy Hudson isn't a really tiny dog as it may have flown off with him," added Lauren.
"It would easily have taken off with a little chihuahua."
