Fox attacks dog in her own garden

Ruby, the standard wire-haired Dachshund, lives with her owner in Sussex, where she loves chasing squirrels and birds in the garden. Bred for flushing out badgers, their breed instinct is to poke their heads into holes and burrows.

Ruby and her owner are often away, leaving the garden quiet and inviting for a large dog fox who has made his den in a corner.

The attack

One morning Ruby’s owner didn’t check the garden before letting her out and she stuck her head down a new entrance to the fox’s den. The fox immediately sank his teeth into her and wouldn’t let go until her owner, alerted by her screaming, ran over shouting. Only then did he release her and her owner was able to pull her away.

Painful wounds

Ruby was rushed to the local vet where it was revealed that the fox had bitten through her cheek, tearing a tooth out from the root! The vet operated under general anaesthetic to sew up her cheek and gum. She later went home with nine days of painkillers and antibiotics and an uncomfortable head cone. Initially terrified, woozy from the anaesthetic and in pain, Ruby cried in her owner’s arms all that night.

Recovery

Dogs are resilient and Ruby is very brave. Just two days after being attacked she was by the back door keeping watch for the fox. Two weeks later the cheek wound has healed although some permanent damage remains to her teeth but, happily, she is back to being her usual waggy-tailed and loving self.

A warning to others

Her owner dreads to think how much worse it could have been, but he is grateful that he was able to get Ruby treated so quickly and that Agria (who administer the insurance for The Kennel Club) acted so promptly. He hopes that by sharing Ruby’s story it may warn others, bringing some good from this frightening experience.

“With the treatment coming to £800, it’s a compelling argument for having pet insurance as the cost of this alone has been more than a year’s premium.”

Ruby's owner

Protecting Ruby from future attacks

For now, the plan is to protect Ruby from her instincts by fencing off the flowerbeds, leaving just lawn to play on, hopefully preventing her from finding another hole and enabling her to retreat from the fox if needed. Her instincts are strong though and will always be to chase!

Ruby is protected with a Kennel Club Lifetime Plus dog insurance policy.

About the Author

Sam Khan shares her woodland home with Junior, the cat, Gully, the dog and bunnies Hugo & Billy, sometimes playing the family’s ‘favourite’ game with the tortoise – “Where’s Churchill?” She loves writing for Agria, sharing our passion for animal welfare, protecting biodiversity and the environment. When not writing or illustrating, she will be making something, reading a book or swimming in the lake at the bottom of her lane.