After letting her three small dogs out into the backyard Monday morning, Downers Grove resident Janice Flores heard them barking.

When she went out to check on the noise, she found her 2 pound, 5 ounce Chihuahua, Tico, in the talons of a large hawk. She began throwing things at the bird, starting with a bottle of oil, snow and a piece of wood. The bird would not let go of her pet.

Eventually she grabbed a snow shovel and threw it, finally scaring the bird off her pet, though it continued to perch on a fence.

“No one ever thinks that something like that’s going to happen,” Flores said. “He’s tan-colored. I’d imagine that from the sky, he probably resembled a squirrel.”

The other two dogs, a Shih Tzu and a Cairn terrier, are not much bigger than Tico. Flores has served as a foster home for the Aurora-based “In Your Heart” Pekingese and Small Dog Rescue, but she owns all three dogs currently in her care.

Tico was in critical condition at Arboretum View Animal Hospital in Downers Grove. Flores said the hawk punctured the top of his skull and put the dog into shock. Tico may have permanent neurological damage. On Tuesday, Flores took him home, where he has been resting. The dog is unable to move his back legs and his eyes, face and head are very swollen.

Ron Skleney, a naturalist at Willowbrook Wildlife, said he has not heard of similar cases of birds of prey attacking pets. He said it is more likely small dogs would be attacked by coyotes than birds. The most widespread large hawk in the area is the Red-tailed hawk, which ranges between 3 and 4 pounds.

“We recommend that people take the same precautions that you would with a young child,” Skleney said. “You would not allow your young child in your yard unattended, and you shouldn’t do that with your dog.”

Flores, who lives near Belmont Road and Chicago Avenue, said she goes out with her pets every morning and night. But Monday morning she had overslept, so she let her pets out by themselves.

“We’ve seen coyotes out here,” she said. “We have skunks and possums and raccoons, so I was always worried about that. But I never in my wildest dreams imagined that a gigantic hawk would swoop down and grab my puppy.”

Since then Flores said she has been warning neighbors, including the nearby West Suburban Humane Society, to closely watch their small animals. Skleney said Red-tail hawks primarily eat rodents and occasionally cottontail rabbits. However, a harsh winter can make the hungry animals more opportunistic.

“As mobile as wildlife is, they have the ability to come into your backyard and take advantage of fulfilling basic needs of food, water and shelter and they will do that especially if times are hard,” he said.