Suspected Fox Poisonings Shock Guildford Resident: Police and RSPCA Involved

Published on: 5 May, 2025
Updated on: 5 May, 2025

One of the two dead foxes found in a Merrow garden.

By Stella Kuchanny

A Guildford resident has issued a stark warning to the community after discovering two dead foxes in her garden — and losing two cats in eerily similar circumstances — all within the past year.

Annelize, who did not wish us to publish her surname and who lives near Bushy Hill in Merrow, found the body of a young fox beside her car last Sunday morning, followed by an adult fox found later that same day near her garden pond. “There were no visible signs of injury, apart from a bit of bleeding at the mouth,” she said. “It was deeply disturbing.”

Her immediate concern was poisoning — especially given that her family’s six-month-old kitten disappeared three weeks earlier. Another cat vanished almost exactly a year prior. Both were untraceable. “We’re still mourning the loss of our beautiful little kitty,” she told The Dragon.

After struggling to get help from veterinary clinics and major wildlife charities, Annelize eventually found support from Hydestile Wildlife Hospital. Staff there encouraged her to report the incidents to DEFRA, Surrey Police Wildlife Crime Unit, and the RSPCA. Despite the delay in getting a toxicology test, she persevered.

Surrey Police’s Wildlife Officer contacted Annelize mid-week and encouraged the public to report similar cases — particularly where wildlife is found dead with no clear cause. Unfortunately, because no formal autopsy was done on the foxes, there is no confirmed evidence of poisoning — and no investigation through Crimestoppers can be pursued at this stage.

Still, the pattern of disappearances and suspicious deaths has caught the attention of the community. Her original post on Nextdoor generated over 16,000 views and more than 100 comments. Several residents shared similar stories of missing or deceased cats and foxes, with one commenter recalling a string of fox poisonings in Leatherhead. Others expressed anger, heartbreak, and concern about the apparent cruelty.

One particularly harrowing comment came from a woman in Horsham: “We believe our Lurcher died from eating warfarin that neighbours had used. A baby rat came onto our patio bleeding from its nose… It’s a cruel world for many souls.”

Annelize’s story is a painful reminder that wildlife and pets are vulnerable — and perhaps increasingly at risk. “We won’t be getting another cat,” she said. “It would be too painful to lose another.”

She hopes her warning helps others think twice before letting pets roam freely. “I regret not paying £200 to fit a tracker to our kitty,” she admitted.

If you’ve found deceased wildlife in unexplained circumstances — particularly without evidence of road injury — report it to Surrey Police’s Wildlife Crime Unit or the RSPCA. If you have been affected by a similar case, please contact The Dragon at skuchannydragon@gmail.com.

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