Frankie and the Great Horned Owl

It's been a week now since we lost our dog. Frankie is a older mix, shitzu and something else I think. Black and white he weights about 15 pounds presumably. He roams our neighborhood with impunity, fearlessly strutting with a canine swagger. Usually we don't let him out at night as there be coyote's and other nocturnal carnivores in this hardscrabble mountain community above a lake. I haven

't seen any critters but have heard tales. The last time we saw Frankie was as I fetched something from our garage, late one night. He followed me outside but not back in and we were distracted as we were tearing up the living room looking for a huge spider I'd seen scampering across the living room carpet. It went under the couch I was sitting on and now I wanted to get it with a spray. After I had dispatched said arachnid to heaven, we started calling for Frankie. It had only been a few moments and as bedtime approached we were getting desperate to find him. I walked the neighborhood and even drove it calling his name and flashing a bright light into the bushes. To no avail and reluctantly we spent a restless night hoping he had found a safe refuge in a neighbor's house. Again we walked the neighborhood when the sun arose over the mountain peaks, asking if any one had seen him. Again no response and we are fearing the worse. I did see a great horned owl the other morning before Frankie disappeared. He was in the middle of our road and stood fast in spite of the bright headlights. Then he spread his huge wings and took flight soaring over the hills. We had heard him in the wee hours before sunlight as we take our morning commute for work in a nearby city. Woo woo. Now I wonder if I should answer did you take our family pet? Now I am all about nature and the circle of life but still may take aim if I see that critter in my headlights again. I have since done some research and yes a raptor can lift a small dog or cat and carry it for miles. One lady was lucky enough that her dog was dropped out of the sky and landed in front of a car. The driver had to shoo the owl away from the injured pet as it was trying to reacquire it's prey. The dog survived but I fear Frankie has met his demise. Stay tuned and hold out hope he returns.