On March 12th I received a message from a lady by the name of Angie who is part of an amazing group known as the Fox Angels with regards to a young vixen who they had managed to capture after running around for over 7 weeks with bones sticking through her left rear hind leg and foot down in Surrey.
Needless to say by this stage her leg had become badly infected to the point where it was a miracle that she was still alive. However, this little vixen was certainly made of stern stuff for which she kept going back to a lady by the name of Valerie who had been feeding her from when she was a cub with all her siblings and parents. Whilst Val was desperate to call for help, she was also so very attached to Missy and so much so that she was scared that a call for help could lead to euthanasia which in truth it probably would have.
Therefore thank god that she stumbled across the Fox Angels who help to rescue foxes who have been injured or harmed. Trying to keep a long story (and this is a long story) as brief as possible, she (Missy) was captured and thankfully the local veterinary practice operated on her which unfortunately meant amputation of her infected leg.
Lee, from the group did all the running around for which he said the smell was horrendous, but he and others within Fox Angels i.e. Angie, Jude and Lynne were adamant they would go to whatever lengths it took to keep her alive. Thankfully our little vixen did come through the operation and then 3 days later after great care by Lee and his family, she made her way up to Norfolk to stay with me whilst a super new home was being built for her at a local sanctuary which I have been involved with for several years now and run by a lady called Lyz. The first few days really were touch and go for which by day 3, I thought she had gone. Thankfully she was just in a very deep sleep whilst recovering from what had been a huge major ordeal. The stay with me lasted for 23 days with at least 8 visits out to her each day from 6am to midnight. These daily visits included at least 5 feeds combined with clean outs of the cage which she had to be confined in with Lyz administering all the needed meds. During this time, the Fox Angels were constantly asking for updates whilst also offering support so as to make sure our girl got through this.
Get through it she has and what an inspiration. Where there is a will or should we say a spark of life, there is most certainly a way. This clever little fox not only twisted me around her little claw, but hundreds of others who have followed her journey from all over the world on a specific facebook fox group for which she is now in her new home living the life. It has been one hell of an experience whilst also being one hell of a privilege. It is far too easy to say it will be more kind to put an animal down when in truth all it takes is just going those extra few miles to say no, let’s give it a second chance. Our girl Missy has most certainly proved that.
A huge thank you to local businessman John H for all his support and of course to Karen G whilst not forgetting all those other many people who have supported this amazing journey of Missy the fox from the busy streets of Surrey to the calm of Norfolk….
Neil Featherby
Sportlink
