A New Hampshire woman physically held a rabid fox down until first responders arrived after it bit her 4-year-old child, officials said. 

The fox, which was euthanized on scene, later tested positive for rabies, the Hollis Police Department said in a statement. Both the mother and her daughter received medical treatment and are expected to be OK. 

Police responded to the incident on Truell Road in Hollis, N.H. at about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. It was reported that a child was bitten by a fox and the mother was physically holding it down, “preven[ing] further injury to the child or bystanders,” police said. 

Officers euthanized the fox on scene as it was showing “obvious signs of illness and aggression,” according to police. 

The fox tested positive for rabies after being submitted to testing by New Hampshire Conservation officers. 

Rabies, which is fatal to both animals and humans almost all of the time once symptoms appear, is transmitted from animals to humans through bites or scratches, according to the CDC. Treatment for rabies is almost 100% effective for people if administered soon after exposure. 

Hollis Police Chief Brendan LaFlamme said that the department had received multiple calls from people criticizing the euthanization of the fox. 

“As Chief of Police, I stand behind the officers actions,” LaFlamme said in a statement. “They acted quickly and professionally to make the scene safe so that the injured four year old could get the treatment she needed.”

“Their actions prevented any further injury to people and animals, slowed the spread of this disease, and ended the animal’s suffering.”

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Press Release: For Immediate Release. Please read to the end. As Chief of Police, I stand by the actions of our officers…

Posted by Hollis Police Department on Thursday, May 16, 2024

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