Sly fox sets sights on Ennis dogs

IN something of a role reversal, three dogs have been killed by a fox in Ennis, sparking fears for the safety not only of pets but also of young infants.

 

Efforts are being made to trap the animal that attacked dogs in two separate incidents in the Tobarteascain area of Ennis.

County dog warden Frankie Coote warned this week the animal is a “danger”.

“I would say to anyone with very small children that they shouldn’t leave them unattended outside until we get this sorted. Foxes can come out in daytime, as well as night.

“Anyone with small dogs in that area would be advised to bring them in at night,” said Mr Coote.
In recent days, a woman living in Tobarteascain came out of her home after dusk to find her dog being attacked by the fox. The owner tried to fight the animal off. However, the fox broke the neck of her pet, killing it.

This is the second incident believed to involve the same fox. The first attack occurred a number of weeks ago and involved two dogs that were in a run at their owner’s home, also in Tobarteascain.

However, due to the unusual nature of fox attacks on dogs, it was not believed at the time that the wild creature was responsible for the act.

One of the dogs was killed inside the run, while the other dog was taken to the woods, where its remains were later found by Mr Coote.

“The dog in the run was killed and three-quarters of it were eaten. I found the remains of the second dog in the woods. When it was first reported, I didn’t believe that it was a fox because that is so unusual. I thought it was another dog that did this.

“But with the latest incident, the girl saw the fox and tried to beat it off. We have the evidence now that it was a fox. The dogs involved were small to medium-sized; one of them was a terrier that was strong enough.

“I’ve only seen a rogue fox once before where it chased a woman in her own house in Tulla and we had to remove it. This is really unusual. This has stunned me,” said Mr Coote.

The eye-witness account of the latest attack has led to valuable information that could lead to the capture of the animal. “She identified that the tail was like a wire brush, like it has mange and is not bushy. That gives us something to go on in identifying the fox. It’s small and it sounds like it is probably a female. I believe that she is coming into the area from the Clareabbey side,” he said.

Mr Coote has obtained a trap for the animal and contact is being made with the National Parks and Wildlife Service in relation to the matter.