Young Stockton Girl's Emotional Support Puppy Hunted By Hawk
STOCKTON (CBS13) — Hunted from the sky, a puppy was plucked from its own backyard — the target of a hungry hawk.
The Yorkie was an emotional support animal for a 9-year-old Stockton girl.
A touching TikTok post is now a treasured memory for 9-year-old Madison Bubeck.
"He just made me happy and stuff," she said. "And I really miss him a lot."
Her Yorkie, Jack, was her emotional support dog. You see, Madison hadn't smiled much since heading back to school in Stockton. All the pandemic restrictions have been tough on the 4th grader.
So Jack brought calm amid the chaos.
"I used to go like...bang my hands on the carpet, and he would go like 'ggrrrruff!' " Madisen said, imitating a dog noise. "It was funny and it was cute."
But that long-awaited joy was cut short last weekend when a hawk made Madison's yard its own home.
"I saw the hawk on top of him, and it was already too late," mom Stephanie Bubeck said.
She let Jack outside for a few minutes to use the bathroom while she helped her daughter inside.
"To have it just look me straight in the eyes while on top of my dog -- it was terrifying," Stephanie said.
Local animal experts say it's common for hawks to hunt house pets. They recommend that owners stay outside with their small animals. It's advice the Bubecks now intend to follow.
"Hopefully this saves somebody else's pet," Stephanie said.
While Madison admits she still looks up when she steps outside, a backyard memorial is helping her grieve.
"It makes me sad and sometimes scared because I don't know if it's going to happen to any of the other animals or dogs," she said.
The family says the same hawk has been spotted in their neighborhood since the attack. They're hoping to get another dog down the road, but say it's going to take some time to recover from losing Jack.