Waterfall pets fall prey to eagle

A TRAUMATISED Waterfall family is calling on the respective authorities to assist them to track and relocate an eagle which they claim killed two of their pets.

Forty-two-year-old Vivianne Sneddon and her family have been residing in their David Drive home for the past two years, and their pets have fallen prey to the eagle on three separate occasions.

The bird, believed to be a martial eagle, first attacked the family’s 11-year-old cat, Misty, in 2013.

According to Sneddon, Misty’s body was never found and her fur was the only remains they discovered in their back yard.The eagle struck again during the Easter weekend. This time, the predator attacked the family’s one-year-old Maltese poodle, Belle.

Sneddon said, “Belle came running towards me and she was crying. She was losing a lot of blood, so we immediately rushed her to a Hillcrest vet, where she spent three days. Fortunately she is on the road to recovery.”

However, fate took a different turn for three-year-old Buttercup, a Maltese crossed with a Jack Russel, who was killed by the eagle last Tuesday.

Sneddon said she became suspicious when the dog did not respond to her calls. When she walked to the back of the house she saw Buttercup lying lifeless under a tree.

“The eagle’s talons had pierced her lung, and as a result she died of internal bleeding. That was such a horrific moment. I held her in my arms as she bleed profusely, but there was nothing I could do to save her.”

The animal lover, who also has rescued pets in her care added, “I understand the nature of the eagle and the fact that it is an endangered species, but we live in a residential area and would also like to keep pets. I am trying to provide a safe home for my rescued pets, but this puts them in more danger. We have lodged reports and were told that more people need to come forward with similar reports so the eagle can be moved to another environment. I encourage people who have been in similar situations to report them so our pets can be safe.”