SMART in My Backyard

Small world, isn't it?

When I first met the members of SMART, then called the Small Animal Rescue Team of Los Angeles Animal Services, I was researching my Pet Rescue Mysteries.  They were wonderful people from the first, allowing me to observe some of their training exercises including zip lining from the tops of mountains.  Later, their name was changed to Specialized Mobile Animal Rescue Team, and they took on rescuing animals who weren't necessarily as small.

Fast forward.  I saw them next after they were featured in an independent film--the SMART Documentary-- and I of course had to attend one of its premieres in the Los Angeles area.  I loved the film and also got to see some of the wonderful people I'd met previously there, too.  That was last year.

Now, fast forward again to this past Monday.  My dogs had told me they wanted to go outside, and I'm now able to hobble down our backyard steps, though they generally go ahead of me.  While I was on my way down, Cari, our puppy, preceded me, though Mystie remained behind me.  And when Cari got to the patio below, she started barking.  Mystie's usually the barker, so I hurried to see what Cari was barking at.

It turned out to be a large hawk who was standing just beyond the patio in an area covered with compost.  He didn't fly away when Cari barked.  He just stood there. 

I called Cari, and she came back upstairs with me, where Mystie, fortunately, was still waiting.  I called to my husband Fred to come see--and help. 

And the hawk just stood there. 

We made some more noise--and took some pictures.  Fred grabbed a piece of cardboard and threw it off to the side of the hawk, thinking that might make him fly away.  It didn't.

We figured he must be injured or ill.  He seemed in need of some kind of rescue. 

And so I called one of my SMART contacts, Nett--and was delighted to speak with her, although I wished it were for a better reason.  But she asked me a few questions and said she would send someone over soon, but to call back if the bird flew away.

He didn't.  And an Animal Services officer who happened to be a SMART member--Jumper--soon arrived in an Animal Services truck.

Fred let Jumper into the backyard, where the officer wrapped the hawk in a large towel, then unwrapped him slightly to look at him.  Then he wrapped him again to move him into a cage he had brought with him.  The bird remained fairly calm, and Jumper mentioned his surprise that the hawk wasn't more aggressive.  He told me he would be taking the hawk to a wildlife rehabilitation facility in Camarillo, not far away.  And then he left with the bird.

Did I get much writing done that day?  Certainly not as much as I'd intended to.  But I was worried about that hawk.  To some extent I still am, though at least he was rescued and taken to someplace where he hopefully will get well and be allowed to fly free again. 

But one thing I was really happy about was that I knew just who to call--SMART!

BTW, I had another interesting animal-related experience this week.  I may blog about it next week.