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MADISON, ME
(USA)
— I thought the joke was supposed
to go something like this:
Q.
What has four legs and flies?
A. A dog who really needs a bath.
Well, today we have a variation. To
any Skowhegan resident who may have looked up in the sky on Friday and
seen a strange, four-legged creature with enormous wings and a spaghetti
tail, the answer to "What has four legs and flies?" is: "A
wiener dog locked in mortal combat with an American bald
eagle."
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"She bit the eagle and and he
dropped her," said Jon Jr. "The claws pierced her like a
razor. They went right through her body to the other side."
Ava was immediately rushed to the Animal Medical
Clinic on Route 150 in Skowhegan where Dr. Gail Gibson performed
emergency surgery. A receptionist at the clinic told reporters that
the dog was expected to live, even though injuries to her hindquarters were extensive.
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All things being equal, I think I like
the joke better the old way.
The Kennebec
Journal-Morning Sentinel reports that "Ava", a
four-year-old Dachshund, was snatched out of her yard on River Road and
carried off by a large eagle. After an incredible, mid-air struggle,
the wiener dog managed to wrestle free of the predator and drop several
dozen feet to the ground, somehow surviving the ordeal.
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A word of caution: This is how most toy dogs
look
to an eagle flying overhead.
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According to Jon Martin Jr., Ava had been
let outside for her usual romp on Friday morning. Jon's
father said he saw the eagle swoop but did not realize that the bird had
targeted the dog. As soon as he figured out what was happening, Jon
Sr. began running toward them, waving his arms and yelling, but by that
time the eagle had already lifted off with Ava in its talons.
Ava, weighing in at
13 lb (5.9 kg) and somewhat feistier than your average field mouse,
struggled, fought back and bit the eagle in the leg.
(You know, somehow I don't think that's
what fighter pilots have in mind when they hear the phrase "aerial
dogfight.")
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From now on, Ava and her companions will
definitely be on the lookout for low-flying threats. Strangely
enough, the Columbia
Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition states:
"In
folklore the eagle's ability to carry off prey, including children (e.g.,
the legend of Ganymede), has been exaggerated; even the powerful golden
eagle can lift no more than 8 lb (3.6 kg)."
Hmm, do you want to tell them, or should
I?
UPDATE: Mar 27, 2002
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