It was a quiet Saturday morning near the coast. The salty breeze drifted lazily through the neighborhood, and most residents were still sipping coffee on their porches. Suddenly, a sharp squawking sound pierced the calm. It was loud—urgent. Several neighbors looked up, startled by the commotion above.
High above the rooftops, a large seagull swooped in a tight arc, its white wings flashing in the morning light. It circled once, then dove down into the garden of a small cottage near the dunes. In one swift motion, it grabbed a small golden puppy by its scruff and lifted off. Gasps echoed from the nearby yards. A few people shouted. But it was too late—the bird had vanished toward the coast.
The puppy belonged to the Reeds, a retired couple who had recently adopted the little one from a local shelter. “He was playing with his toy in the grass,” Mr. Reed recalled. “Then the shadow passed over, and he was gone.” No one had ever heard of a seagull doing something like this. A puppy? In broad daylight?