Mum ‘in bits’ after seagull snatched her chihuahua Gizmo as she denies making story up
DEVASTATED chihuahua owner Rebecca Hill broke down yesterday as she said how her dog was snatched by a marauding seagull and pleaded: ‘’Please help find my Gizmo’’.
Shop worker Rebecca, 24, urged neighbours to keep an eye out for her loveable pet in the desperate hope he is still be alive.
The four-year-old was picked up by a huge gull as he played outside in the back garden in Paignton, Devon, while partner Ashley Rawlings looked on horrified.
Pregnant Rebecca said in tears:“I’m just hoping he’s been dropped somewhere and can’t get out or he’s on a roof and can’t get down.
“But until I know exactly what’s happened I won’t be able to rest - he’s my baby and I really miss him and want him back home.
“I’m pleading with people locally to have a look in sheds and listen out to see if they can hear him yelping.
“Gizmo was rescued two years ago from a dog breeder and he was my baby. He was my favourite out of the three and I really miss him.
“He would snuggle up under the quilt with me and you wouldn’t even know he was there.
“When I first got him from the rescue centre he was in a real mess. He had been badly neglected with cuts around his ears.
“When he first came to me he became so used to a new home and he was amazingly loving even given he had been so badly treated by his previous owner. He was used to breed with other chihuahuas.
“Gizmo was such a loving animal and became so attached to me that he used to sleep on my shoulder.
“He was always carried everywhere and I was really protective of him because he was just so vulnerable.
“Although he was a rescue dog he is a really sociable animal and would go to anyone.
“I’m just so shocked and would not expect something like this to happen.
MOMENT GIZMO SNATCHED
“My partner Ashley was hanging the washing out when Gizmo went out on Sunday lunchtime to go to the toilet. He would normally just lie in his bed.
“And it all happened so quickly, one minute he was in the garden and then there was a yelp and Ashley saw him being carried off by the seagull.
“I love animals but these birds are real pests and can cause real damage, but this time of year the seagulls are looking for food for their young and obviously saw Gizmo as an easy picking.
“I’ve seen them take ducklings from a pond and swallow them whole and that was just so upsetting.
“I doubt whether they would be able to do that with Gizmo who weighs about 5lbs. I just need to know what’s happened to him - I don’t care if it’s bad news I just need to know. But Gizmo could be lying injured somewhere so I need to do everything I can to try to find him.
“I’ve been leafleting the area asking if anyone has seen him and I’m just desperate to get him back.
“I’m a real animal lover and this has just really sickened me to the core.”
GIZMO OWNER TROLLED
Rebecca initially posted an appeal on Facebook for help in finding Gizmo but had to then take it down after she was targeted by sick trolls making fun of her plight.
UAV Lost Dog Search & Rescue, who are assisting the hunt for Gizmo, said: "She removed the post due to unnecessary trolling and hateful and spiteful comments where people were making a joke of the situation.
"She is very upset by the events and took the decision to remove the post."
Partner Ashley, 32, said:”I was just hanging out the washing and Gizmo was behind me when I saw the gull swoop down and pick him up.
“I jumped up to try and grab him but was just too short and it flew off over the houses and down towards the valley.”
Rebecca added: “We’ve printed leaflets asking people to look in their gardens to see if Gizmo is there. And even to listen out to see if they can hear a dog whimpering on their roofs.
“My two other Chihuahuas Amber, four, and Millie, nine, are really missing Gizmo and especially Amber who was really close to Gizmo. She keeps moaning and going to the backdoor looking for him. They just haven’t settled all night and they are on the look out all the time.
“Gizmo is microchipped so if anyone finds him they can bring him back to me straight away.
“Seagulls are pests. To the tourists who come down to this part of the world in the summer they might look loveable but they can be really aggressive.
“I just want to warn people that this could happen to any small dog or cat that’s left unattended.”
Seagulls will eat anything
Peter Rock, leading expert on urban seagulls
Last night Peter Rock, the country’s leading expert on urban seagulls, told The Sun:”It’s possible the bird was protecting her young. There may well be a nest nearby and one of the fledglings may have fallen out and the dog got too close.
“We have seen an increase in seagull numbers over suburbia because of the ready availability of food from bins and rubbish.
“If they can get something down their throats then they will eat it. I’ve heard of pigeons and rabbits being eaten whole and they are capable of pulling them apart.
“Given the chance they will eat anything and this poor dog sound about the size of a rabbit but I do hope she gets him back.”
Peter added: “Seagulls have been known to swoop low and act aggressively towards humans and even picking up a small baby may not be beyond the realms of possibility.”
Gull 'could have been protecting its young'
Bird experts have said it is rare for seagulls to attack dogs or other animals, but that it is possible for one of the birds to lift a small dog and fly away.
Tony Whitehead a gull expert at the RSPB said: "There are two things that could have caused this, the first one is that there's been a young gull recently fledged landing in an enclosed back garden where the dog is, and there's been some conflict, so the parents will have swept down to remove the bird.
"It's possible it's simply predation. Gulls are great opportunists, they aren't going to distinguish between a particularly small dog and a small bird.
"What I would say is, especially at this time of year where adult birds are particularly protective of their youngsters, if you have a very small dog, keep an eye on it."
Peter Rock, an ornithologist at the University of Bristol told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "These gulls are very large and as you know, if you've been around gulls, you'll know they're very large and are quite capable of picking up small animals, quite commonly they will kill pigeons that look a little bit under the weather.
"If you have a very tiny little dog I suggest you don't let it run around on your garden as it might well become a meal. It would have to be very tiny like this one was."
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