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MADISON, ME (USA) — Not
many dogs can say they've hitched a ride with a passing eagle. Not many
dogs can say they've survived hitching a ride with a passing
eagle. Come to think of it, not many dogs can say anything at all,
since, the last time I checked, dog's can't talk.
But if they could, this one would have
quite a harrowing tale to tell. Now, almost two weeks after the
nearly fatal ordeal, four-year-old "Ava" the dog has pulled
through multiple surgeries and is on the road to a full recovery.
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"National emblem? Endangered
species? Ptui! Just wait'll I get my hands around that
lousy bird's neck! We'll be eatin' Kentucky Fried Chicken for a
month!"
Just kidding. Actually, Mr. Martin is pictured here describing how
the majestic eagle grabbed little Ava in its massive claws and flew off. (Photo: Jim Evans / Maine
Today)
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Ava first made Scoop headlines on March 11 after the
tasty-looking wiener dog was snatched up by an American
bald eagle. The tough, 13-pound Dachshund fought bravely in mid air,
eventually biting the predator in the leg and managing to bail out above
the trees but not before the formidable fowl had flown some 300ft with
the dog in its sharp talons (for the full story, read "Eagle
Snatches Dog and Flies Off, Dog Escapes").
Ava fell an estimated 40ft to the ground
before being gathered up by Jon Martin Sr. and rushed to the Animal
Medical Clinic in Skowhegan. The dog had suffered multiple
lacerations and a deep puncture wound that required emergency
surgery. Ava went home that same evening, but complications arose
when infection set in, and she had to go back under the knife last Friday.
"She's still in the hospital, but
she's doing fine," reports Laura Martin. "I can't see her
until Tuesday or Wednesday, because when I go over there, she gets so happy
and excited." Doctors worry that the pooch could burst her
sutures.
Ava will doubtlessly have to endure an
endless barrage of "bird dog" jokes, not to mention that
ridiculous lamp-shade contraption on her head.
(Photo: CNN)
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The Martin family was understandably
irate immediately following the incident, and reportedly, Mr. Martin insinuated that he
would have shot the eagle, were it not for federal laws prohibiting such
action; the Endangered
Species Program protects eagles as well as many other forms
of life—from the Argentinean pink fairy armadillo to the Zapata
bladderpod (and your guess is as good as mine as to what that is.
Just don't step on one).
However, as time passes and Ava returns
to her bouncy old self again, the family is willing to respect the laws
of nature and overlook an occasional dog-snatching from overhead.
Mr. Martin spoke with great admiration for the
mighty predator: "He always hunts in this area, constantly circling
around, way up high. It's a really huge, huge bird. It's
really beautiful."
"I like this bird," says the man, who came to the United
States from Portugal. "This bird is very important for this country."
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