Will owls eat dogs?
Posted by Jamie Branch on August 1, 2005
Q: What kind of owls live in California deserts? And could they pick up a ten pound dog and eat it with another dog in the back yard that loves to hunt and weighs 70 pounds?
State: California
A: There are several species of owls that live in the California area but only one, the Great Horned Owl, that's large enough to be a threat to pets. The typical adult GH Owl weighs about 3 pounds so I find it difficult to believe it could carry off a 10 pound dog even though they're very strong. I do know that GH Owls have been known to kill and carry off cats but these were probably lighter in weight than your dog.
Great Horned Owls are found in an extremely wide range of habitats but are usually quite shy and prefer natural areas to people's homes and yards. Of course, owls don't always "follow the rules" but I really don't think it's likely that an owl would attack your dog. Having an even larger dog nearby probably makes it even less likely that an owl would bother your pet. Thanks for your question.
John Wiessinger ( August 2, 2005)