A pet owner is warning others to be vigilant after an elderly dog was attacked by a bird of prey in Douglas.

Miniature Bijon poodle cross Jess, who is 17, deaf and has poor eyesight, has sustained multiple puncture injuries from the attacks.

Willi Gale explained that the incident happened in his garden on Governor’s Hill.

He said: ‘Our dog was attacked a few weeks ago in the back garden just after dusk and sustained an injury on two separate occasions.

‘The dog needed a visit to the vets on both occasions we initially thought it could be a long tail (rat) so sought advice from a professional who called and placed traps around the garden. But after being checked on a daily basis, there was nothing.

‘We left them in place for over a week and still nothing, so they were removed and everything seemed to quiet down again.

‘But she was attacked again and it was witnessed but it was so unbelievable, it turns out it was a bird of prey.

‘If you have a small dog or cat, please be careful.

‘The culprit was scared off but just sat on the fence unfazed waiting.

‘Our poor dog is only small and deaf and her eyesight is not the best these days as she’s 17. Just be careful.’

The peregrine is renowned for its speed, (reaching up to 200mph during its high-speed dive), making it the fastest member of the animal kingdom.