HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — Two people are recovering Saturday after a fox attacked them in a Henry County subdivision. Animal control officials believe the animal is rabid.
Neighbors are on high alert. In one case, neighbors said that a man was outside doing yard work when he spotted the fox. He tried to get away in his garage and it ended up biting him.
Animal control caught one fox Saturday morning and officials suspect it's infected with rabies. They are testing it to make sure.
"We can't say for sure if this is the actual animal that attacked the two people in Highlands," said Henry County Animal Control officer Vince Farah.
Both of the attacks happened Friday night in the Highlands subdivision. Both people were sent to the hospital and are being treated for rabies.
"The fox came into their house, but of course when he was kicking it, the fox was biting him. He went to the emergency room had several injections put in his leg," said neighbor Ashley Swigert.
"It sat there so bold just looking around the yard," said neighbor Nathalie Pitman.
About 4 miles away on Cook Lane, Pitman said she spotted another possible rabid fox that attacked a dog Saturday morning.
"My son said don't get out of the car till you close the garage. That is why we were all hunkered down," Pitman said.
The news is putting many families in the community on edge.
"We are always outside piddling in the yard. I just hate for something to other children in the neighborhood," said Swigert.
Because they don't believe just one fox is responsible, animal control officers with Henry County said they have set up fox traps around the areas where the attacks happened.
"Anyone that has outdoor animals must have them revaccinated immediately and closely observe for the next 10 days," said Farah.
Animal control officers are advising neighbors to keep their garages closed, and their garbage tightly closed. They are going to be sending a specimen from the fox to a state lab to confirm if the fox was infected with rabies.
WSBTV
