A fox attacked a dog in a town centre garden last week injuring it so badly it was later destroyed. Its owners, an elderly couple who did not wish to be named, have been left distraught.
The incident occurred in a back garden in a cottage on Stoke Fields, Guildford, just a couple of hundred yards from North Street.
Last Monday, May 13, one of owners heard her dog making an unusual growling sound. She said: “I thought our dog, Daisy, had got caught up in something but when I came downstairs and looked out into our back garden I saw this fox, which I must admit was a beautiful creature, walking off with our miniature Yorkshire terrier in its mouth.
“I shouted out instinctively, ‘What are you doing!’ and the fox looked at me, dropped Daisy and walked a few steps away before returning to pick up our poor little dog again, shaking her and throwing her down. Then the fox ran off.
“Daisy was so small she only weighed two and a half to three pounds.
“I thought that she was dead but when I realised she wasn’t a neighbour drove us up to the vets in Onslow Village. They tried their best to save her but said she had been heavily traumatised and bitten badly on the throat, which must have been the second time the fox grabbed her.
“The vets sent her to the animal hospital in Woking but later they called to say she wouldn’t make it and they should put her to sleep. We have buried her in the garden.
“We might get another one but it is too early to decide yet.”
A neighbour, Ashley Harrison, who runs “little legs“, a business minding small dogs and puppies, said: “A few of us have noticed a fox in the area in the last few weeks. He has been moving around here very confidently.
“I saw him in my back garden one morning about 8 o’clock. He, I assume it is a he, watched me through the window and I watched him. He only left when he was ready, as I was about to take a photo, in fact. He is a beautiful creature.
“I posted the incident on our neighbourhood facebook and then neighbours reported that they had seen him too, one saw him on top of a shed another sunning himself on top of a car.
“I have warned neighbours through Facebook to be aware and take care with their pets. Personally, I don’t wish the fox any harm, I would not wish to see him destroyed, but perhaps there is some humane deterrent.
“I sought advice from Surrey Wildlife Trust and ‘Fox-a-gon’. They said that it was very unusual for a Fox to attack a dog but it has probably got far too confident living close to people. They wondered whether someone was feeding him. He did not look lean.
“We still put our waste out in bags here, and I have wondered if that is a factor. We are about to move over to bins though.
The fox is also believed to have been seen in the playground at Sandfield School within the last week.
A local borough councillor, Caroline Reeves (Lib Dem, Friary & St Nicolas), wrote a note on behalf of the G4 Residents’ Association that has been circulated to local residents and warn them.
It is not unheard of for a fox to attack a dog but it is rare. Normally foxes do not attack other creatures that can fight back.
In 2005, in two incidents occurring within weeks of each other, a fox attacked two dogs in the Cambridgeshire village of Hilton. One dog involved, an Alsatian, was fatally injured. In 2011 TV presenter Ben Fogle was injured by an urban fox from which he was defending his elderly dog whilst walking in the park.
On ‘The fox website’ the FAQ section contains the following question and answer:
“Will the foxes in my garden attack my dog or cat?
“This is extremely unlikely. Foxes avoid dogs, even small dogs, because many foxes are killed by dogs. So it is much more likely that your dog will attack the fox, not the other way round. Attacks on cats are equally rare: cats and foxes are roughly the same size, and cats are very capable of defending themselves against foxes. So it is hardly surprising that foxes generally give cats a wide berth and flee when threatened by a cat. Occasionally small kittens are killed, but this is rare. Keeping your cat indoors at night greatly reduces the chances of an encounter with a fox. There are also a variety of other benefits: cats kept in at night are healthier and live longer, and kill less of the local wildlife.”
The Fox-a-gon website states:
“Foxes are protected under a series of wildlife protection laws against poisoning, gassing, asphyxiating, maiming, stabbing, impaling, drowning, clubbing and most forms of snaring, with anyone convicted of carrying out such acts liable to six months imprisonment and/or a £5,000 fine per animal.
“The fox is sometimes referred to as vermin, but it is not, and never has been categorised as such by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
“An adult suburban fox’s territory may consist of around 80 to 120 gardens, plus associated open space such as railway embankments, woodland, parks and schools.
“Following the breeding season, such a territory may contain up to 10 foxes, including cubs, and the group may have three or four earths within that range.”
This website is published by The Guildford Dragon NEWS
Contact: Martin Giles mgilesdragon@gmail.com
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Raineee Wornham
May 26, 2013 at 12:35 pm
My thoughts go out to the owners of Daisy. These should hold onto the the wonderful life they have given her in their thoughts and their hearts, and always remember her with a smile because of the joy she gave. This will get them through this sad time.
I am so sorry to hear their sad news and I wish them all the best for the future.
Nadine D'Souza
May 9, 2015 at 10:54 am
The picture of Daisy is just like my little Yorkie.
I too am worried as I have recently moved. My garden backs onto a field and there has been sightings of a fox.
All I can do is stand with her especially at night in the garden just in case. My heart goes out to you losing your lovely little dog.
Jim Allen
May 9, 2015 at 8:51 pm
Eggs come from chickens – not factories
Bacon comes from pigs – not the freezer
Milk comes from cows – not bottles
Worms inhabit the earth – not computers
Birds fly in the sky – they don’t wear skirts
Fish swim rivers and lakes – not in Emails
Foxes like all the above are part of natural life and we must treat them with the same respect as lions and tigers stoats and weasels. They are part of the predatory food chain in our eco system. Destroy them all and something less ‘nice’ will take their place. If you have pets smaller than a fox then ensure that they are not labelled, “Foxes next meal”. Simple.
Very literate foxes in Burpham, obviously. Ed
Bernard Parke
May 9, 2015 at 9:19 pm
We also have a Yorkshire Terrier who we do not take chances with.
Late at night we take him out on his lead even into the back garden.
It is better to be both safe and sure.
A Yorkshire terrier – in Surrey? The enemy within. Ed
Bernard Parke
May 9, 2015 at 10:35 pm
Yes, but they do not want home rule yet.
Then why is there a “Yorkshire First” party? It got 6,811 votes in the general election.
You might need to keep a close eye on that pooch. Perhaps it should be positively vetted. Ed
Lisa Wright
May 10, 2015 at 9:04 am
Foxes kill for fun.
I lost four chickens to a fox, it looked like someone had been through the pen with a strimmer with bits of meat and feather everywhere.
On another occasion the fox got in my guinea pig cage at around 10am and killed my daughters pets. Again, didn’t eat them, just killed them and left them dead.
I worry for my cat as she is very old and almost blind. We shut her in at night for her own safety.
Brian Holt
May 10, 2015 at 1:37 pm
It should be made an offence to feed foxes in residential areas.
I see plates put down daily near where I live. The foxes come here regularly along with all the cats in the area.
Stacey Mercer
May 24, 2015 at 12:02 pm
We had a Yorkshire terrier that was attacked by a fox, luckily he survived. It was our dog’s fault as he had cornered the fox and its instinct was to attack him.
Claire Calvert
March 29, 2016 at 8:32 am
My dog “Akita” has been attacked and had her chest ripped open. There are also bite marks on her back.
We have a fox, fed by the neighbours, who is very very confident. Her den is within 10 yards of our garden. She will follow us and sit and gaze through the window.
My Akita goes mad as the hunting instinct is very powerful. I heard no noise but my dog was chasing the fox. When Akita came in her chest was hanging down. The cut was so deep it wasn’t bleeding. Our garden is secure with fencing. Is it possible a fox may have attacked her?