Fox attacks 4 in NH before being subdued; authorities await rabies results

A string of fox attacks in a New Hampshire town ended in the fox euthanized and four people told to get tested for rabies, according to officials. 

The state’s Fish and Game Department received multiple calls on Wednesday about an “aggressive-acting red fox.” 

“Every time we responded, of course it was gone,” said Kevin Jordan, chief of law enforcement at the Fish and Game Department.

The final call that authorities received was made by an employee at the local office of the U.S. Postal Service. One employee at the Rochester Post Office was bitten on the hand by the fox.

The employees who were outside loading the postal trucks then ran inside the Post Office to get away from the animal, but as they went to close the door, the fox snuck in anyway. 

Jordan said the employees were able to trap the fox, making it easier for authorities to capture it.

Before the fox made it to the Post Office, Dawn Vachon told WCVB, Boston’s ABC affiliate, she was attacked in her driveway. Her husband tried “whacking” the fox, which was latched onto Vachon’s arm during the attack.

Another woman, Denise Snyder, said she was bitten near her fire pit at her house. 

“All of a sudden, I felt claws on my shoulder and before I could turn around, I felt teeth plunging into my back,” she told WCVB.

Jordan said the fox, which was acting “sickly and aggressive,” had to be euthanized in order to be tested for rabies. It can take up to 48 hours to receive results. 

But he added that he’s almost certain the animal had rabies 

“I’ve never had an animal doing that that wasn’t infected with rabies,” Jordan said. 

The injured residents will be notified of the results when they come in, but authorities urged those who came into contact with the fox to call their doctors as soon as possible.