If you have a Great Horned Owl in the area it is possible since they will hunt small mammals (woodchucks, cats, young fox etc), but I would suspect that you lost your dogs to coyotes since they are quite opportunistic and will take pets. I would certainly not let any pets, cats or dogs, wander around at night.

Good luck

years ago I knew people that had geese. Of the 35 they had they ended up with around 15. What they found out is that it was owls killing them and flying off with some.Shanachie is right. Coyotes will kill dogs just as the kill foxes. Night time is not a good time too let your small dog out alone.

Some of you guys underestimate the strength of raptor birds, including the red tailed hawk. I am from Albania and all my life was in contact with birds. I breed canaries, pigeons,chickens,rabbits and other animals. Several times we had to experience episodes involving birds of prey which were a permanent threat to our birds and animals. Once we had a lamb that disappeared and only days later we found parts of the carcass about three kilometers away (about 2 miles). Not far from there was a nest of turkey vultures. We concluded that it was the vultures that had killed the lamb. The lamb weighted about 8-10 kilograms (about 20-24 pound). It was summer time and we knew that it was not a wolf because they never (almost) kill lambs in that time of the year. Now you do the math; the lamb was at least 3-4 times heavier than the vulture. In another episode a hawk took a pigeon almost from my hand; I was holding the pigeon when all of a sudden a hawk was plunging toward me and I released the pigeon because confused and scared. In matter of tenths or hundredths of a second the pigeon was under the hawks claws. Several other times we had pigeons or chickens killed by birds of prey. I am not proud to say it, but I had to kill several hawks over years. I was young and only saw it as a threat and I believed that it was my right to kill them in order to defend my birds. In another occasion we captured a hawk and kept it for several days in a cage. It refused to eat for 4-5 days, and after advice from my father I released it. Anyway, my advice is for all of you who have animals weighting under 10 pounds to not underestimate the strength of birds of prey. They can carry up to 4 times their body weight. Be careful guys

Another episode regarding hawks and pigeons that I would like to share with you;
As I mentioned in my previous story, over the years I had to deal with all kind of falcons and owls. Domestic birds and animals are usually an easy prey for raptors. Most of the time were episodes involving different kind of hawks/falcons and pigeons and chickens, but also owls trying to get my petrified canaries. One morning wile I was feeding the pigeons a hawk attacked a pigeon with the light speed just I front of my eyes. (Not the first time) I rushed toward the birds with a stick in my hand and tried to get the hawk. It released the injured pigeon and flew away. The bird was alive but I gave it little hope of surviving since its guts were hanging out of the belly. I couldnÂt do much for the pigeons at this point so I just let it in a corner of a cage to die there. Surprisingly the bird survived and fully recovered though the traces of the wound remained. Most surprisingly is what happened next. Just days after the same pigeon was attacked and this time the hawk did not miss it. I suppose it was the same hawk and again maybe not because all of them know when a bird is sick or showing signs of weakness and they go after it because it is an easy prey. This is great because they keep the pigeons population healthy by taking the sick and the weak usually .Ever since I started to look the raptors differently. Although it is so frustrating when you have a hawk or any bird of prey used to easy meals because they keep on coming until you either kill them of you have no birds left for them