If you thought your dog was a cool pet; This man has a hawk
Having a dog for a pet is pretty standard. A cat, that’s good. But a hawk … these guys have one and look pretty happy.
Buzz60
The claim: Falcons are in force; pets 12 pounds and under are in ‘real danger’
A viral Facebook post alleges that rangers and veterinary offices have warned owners of small pets of problems in the air.
“Park rangers and vet offices warn. This year, the hawks appear to be in force,” reads a now-removed post on the Mentone News & Information page. “The pets that are in real danger are the ones that are 12 pounds and less. These are the pets that can knock down and catch falcons.”
The top of the picture reads ‘HAWK WARNING’ in large red bold letters and on the page is the caption: “Watch your little pet’s!”
After contacting USA TODAY, Mentone News & Information removed the warning, saying a source should be included in the mail.
However, the same message was already shared by Facebook pages Jamie’s Animal Rescue on March 16 and Hardin County Humane Society in a message on March 14 with more than 12,000 shares.
“It’s no joke! Birds of prey such as Falcons and owls are in force at the moment. Most of their ‘diet’ did not survive the freeze, so they are looking for more than usual and desperate to get food, “They don’t care if it’s tame or wild,” Jamie’s Animal Rescue wrote. It all tastes the same to them “
The posts do not specify a location or veterinary office that issued the alleged alert. Hardin County Humane Society said they did not comment. USA TODAY contacted Jamie’s Animal Rescue for comment.
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No evidence of warning
It is unclear where the post originated, but the earliest version of the report dates from the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley in November 2015.
The image was shared to Animals Matter’s Hamlethub, and the warning reads that falcons are in force off the east coast, which have been colored in the social media versions of the report.
When the alert went viral for the first time in 2016, CBS Philadelphia reported that KYW had checked Newsradio at various park rangers, veterinary offices, animal control departments and the fish and wildlife departments in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. No one was aware of any form of hawk warning.
Later in 2018, the image hit social media again when Christine Newman, chief operating officer of the Toms River Office of Emergency Management, shared it on social media after her 7-pound dog had a close encounter with two hawks circling overhead, according to Philly Voice.
Newman’s mail received shares from users in Florida, Georgia, Connecticut, Arizona and other states. This sparked a debate online over whether a falcon could carry a puppy.
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How much can a falcon carry?
It is false to claim that a falcon can abduct a 12-pound dog; experts say a falcon can carry no more than its own weight.
Dr. Jason Weckstein, co-curator of ornithology at Drexel University’s Academy of Natural Sciences, told CBS Philadelphia, “If you have chickens, you might be a little worried,” but “you do not have to worry about dogs and cats not. ”
Hawks Aloft writes on the FAQ page: “There are many urban myths about falcons or owls attacking and carrying away cats and dogs. No falcon or owl can carry more than their own weight.”
However, it is still recommended that animals of less than 15 pounds be supervised at all times if they are outdoors due to other predators, including owls, coyotes and falcons.
Val Cunningham, a volunteer at the St. Paul Audubon Society, denied the claim that falcons can fly with a dog, noting that the situation depends on the weight of the dog and the falcon.
“Falcons look big, but under all the feathers there is a very lightweight bird with air-filled legs,” he wrote for the Star Tribune in February 2020. He added that the most common birds of prey in the backyard are red-tailed falcons and Cooper’s falcons and usually prey for them consists of small animals such as mice, flies and squirrels.
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Our rating: false
An image claiming that park rangers and veterinary offices have issued warnings that falcons are in force and keeping pets inside is FALSE, based on our research. The statue first appeared years ago and there were no identified park rangers or veterinary offices that issued such a warning. Furthermore, experts say that falcons can not carry more than their own weight.
Our sources for fact checking:
- Animals Matter’s Hamlethub, November 5, 2015, “Hawk Alert: Keep Your Pets Safe”
- CBS Philadelphia, March 9, “Experts: Recent Posts Warn Against Falcons’ Attacks on Exaggerated Pets”
- Philly Voice, April 17, 2018, “She warned falcon pets in her New Jersey city – and sparked a viral debate”
- Hawks Aloft, visit on March 19 “Frequently Asked Questions”
- Star Tribune, 11 February 2020, “Fact check: can a falcon fly away with your puppy?”
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