Island Dog Hunting Party

This morning Stormy, Blondie and Bonita, the resident street dogs were full of burrs; it's a sign that they've been hunting. This visit we've only been feeding kibble of which they are not that fond. The neighbors' leftovers are meager. I've long thought that at least Stormy supplemented his diet with game. He is a picky eater, so I've been sure his trips through the brush were for hunting.

The dogs hang out in the street. They don't go running through the brush without a reason; it's not like they don't want to be seen by humans, say like coyotes. 

This evening just at dusk we hear a rustling in the woods. It's not the heavy sound of our neighbor's horses coming for a visit, but a pack of about six dogs, that I could see.

In the photo above that's Blondie greeting the hunters. All you can see is the white dog's head popping up. The dogs were scurrying around in the grass clearly in hunting mode, they barely noticed me.

The little Rottie mix came out of the brush just long enough for me to catch this shot. Peanut was in the hunting party. The rest were just a blur and off up the very steep hill they went.

Dusk is when the rats come out, so this was perfect time for hunting. The only other creature in the forest are mongoose, but they are out in the day. They are also a tough adversary, so it makes sense to me that the Puerto Rican island dogs supplement their diet by hunting rats or mice.

Stormy and the girls did not join the party. They took a walk with me. I searched to see if these guys were just taking a short cut somewhere. All I can say is straight up the side of the hill is no shortcut anywhere.

This just reinforces my suspicions that these island dogs hunt for a living when necessary or.... maybe, it's just a party.