You may have noticed seagulls have featured in the news a lot lately. That's because one supposedly flew off with someone's pet chihuahua the other day, much to its owner's horror, in turn reminding us of just how savage those bastards can be.
Becca Hill, 24, says a seagull swooped down into her garden and made off with her beloved four-year-old pooch, Gizmo.
She's since issued an appeal on social media, hoping anyone will have information about where her beloved pet is.
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"Please, please, please, anyone finds a chihuahua he's mine, a seagull took him from my garden," she begged on Facebook.
"Have a really upset 6-year-old missing her dog."
However, there's been no sign of wee Gizmo - which has prompted UK newspaper The Sun to offer out a pretty hefty reward for his safe return.
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"The Sun is today offering a £5,000 reward in a bid to find Gizmo, the Chihuahua snatched by a huge seagull," The Sun announced today.
"With the help of The Sun's army of readers, we hope to reunite heartbroken Rebecca, 24, with Gizmo."
The four-year-old pooch known as Gizmo was just chilling in Becca Hill's backyard in Devon, England when she says a seagull swooped down and grabbed the dog with its beak and flew off.
Speaking to Devon Live after Gizmo went missing, the 24-year-old said she and her partner are devastated.
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"It carried Gizmo a fair way as we couldn't see him anymore," she explained.
"I have no idea if he was dropped or where he is now."
Experts have since warned the bird may have swallowed the dog whole.
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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."
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.
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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."
Us too, Peter. Us too.
Featured Image Credit: Becca Hill
Topics: Dog, UK News, News, Animals