The search for Gizmo, the chihuahua that was supposedly stolen from a woman's garden by a seagull, has taken a dark turn this weekend, after someone found a leg bone they believe could belong to the dog.
The saga began when Rebecca Hill, 24, said a seagull swooped down into her back garden in Paignton and made off with her beloved four-year-old pooch.
Apparently her boyfriend saw the gull fly off with the tiny dog in its beak, and since then there's been no sign of Gizmo, despite Becca's pleas to the public.
That is, potentially, until now.
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On Friday (26 July) Natalie Williams, 29, found what she believes could be the remains of a dog's leg on a roof colonised by seagulls, which is often littered with dead animal parts.
The leg, which has a patch of fur similar to Gizmo's, has been given to a vet for a detailed examination.
Natalie, who works nearby in Totnes, Devon, told The Sun: "There has been seagulls nesting there for months.
"We had to get someone out to remove a chicken's head not long ago, as well as the body of a gull that had been cannibalised.
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"On Friday, I found what can only be described as a mammal's leg on a fire escape at the back. I straight away thought of Gizmo as it looks like it belongs to a dog.
"I really hope I'm wrong."
According to The Sun, Rebecca was notified of the discovery but was too upset to comment.
Experts had previously warned that the gull could have eaten the dog.
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DogLost coordinator Wayne May told the Sun: "It wouldn't be out of the seagull's remit to swallow a dog that size whole.
"If it's a black-backed seagull, it would be more than capable of swallowing a chihuahua.
"It doesn't look good. They are aggressive predators."
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One of the country's leading specialists in the behaviour of urban seagulls, Peter Rock, also said it wouldn't be the first time a seagull has been found to have eaten a large animal.
Speaking to the paper, he said: "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 sounds about the size of a rabbit, but I do hope she gets him back."
Featured Image Credit: Becca Hill