What animals can bite off half a skull on small dog and rip it in half ? Something picked him up and drop him

[Zumashouse]

My dog wash surprised and it all happened in less than 5 minutes.

Dog was missing half skull and ripped in half then dropped under a tree.

I found him next day.

What animals can do this ?
He was about size of a rabbit with long ears. 10-12lbs.

 

[HumbleAmerican]

My dog wash surprised and it all happened in less than 5 minutes.

Dog was missing half skull and ripped in half then dropped under a tree.

I found him next day.

What animals can do this ?
He was about size of a rabbit with long ears. 10-12lbs.

Cat (mountain lion), coyote, bear, or larger dog.

 

[Zumashouse]

We have all the wild animals as we are surrounded by Forrest and desert open space.

I think it's a bird but what kind ?
Owl ? We have brown owls.


Heart broken and need some closer. Sorry I loved him very much

 

[sourland]

sorry for the loss. Where are you located? That information would assist in determining possible predators. Off the top of my head, I would guess coyote, wolf, bear or mountain lion.

 

[Zumashouse]

Cat (mountain lion), coyote, bear, or larger dog.

We have all these animals running around except no bears.

 

[Zumashouse]

sorry for the loss. Where are you located? That information would assist in determining possible predators. Off the top of my head, I would guess coyote, wolf, bear or mountain lion.

Arizona high desert Prescott

 

[HumbleAmerican]

We have all the wild animals as we are surrounded by Forrest and desert open space.

I think it's a bird but what kind ?
Owl ? We have brown owls.


Heart broken and need some closer. Sorry I loved him very much

Birds don't typically bite skull and rip in half.

 

[Zumashouse]

Thank you.

 

[The-White-Elephant]

Thank you.

I‘m sure he was a sweet dog

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I am very sorry about your little dog. I had small inside dogs for 30 years until I moved to the country. I no longer want a small inside dog (that would still need to go outside for potty breaks), because your loss would be my greatest fear.

The way you worded your thread title and first post "dropped under a tree" caused me to think "raptor" too, even though others have listed possible land predator culprits. Owls usually do focus on their prey's head and neck, and also sometimes open up the skull to eat the brain. (I'm sorry if my input causes you even more emotional pain, because finding your dog in that condition was surely very traumatic.) Also, did the attack happen during day or night? Where was your dog/type of enclosure (if any) when the attack happened?

Your little dog wasn't much larger than the average-sized chicken, so the modus operandi for the predator is likely comparable as if the predator took a chicken.