Hawks in dog box after chihuahua grabbed

Trained hawks employed to keep pigeons from making a mess on visitors in a Manhattan park have been grounded because one of the birds mistook a chihuahua as its lunch.

An 56cm hawk gouged the pooch with one of its talons while the dog was nosing around in the bushes of Bryant Park, located behind the landmark New York Public Library. The hawk was quickly separated from the dog.

City Parks Department officials called for an end to the hawk programme, which has halved pigeon infestation.