‘I was in horrible pain,’ said victims of a rabid fox assault in Brighton

Shirley Jacobson of Brighton has been frightened to leave her front porch since a fox bit her in her driveway on Friday.

“I cut my own lawn, and I’ve been out there for weeks now cleaning up in the spring, raking up leaves, and I have had no fear,” she explained. “Right now, I won’t walk out my front door without fear of being attacked.” I may need to seek treatment to get over it because it is truly bugging me.”

The fox, according to Jacobson, sprang out of nowhere and seized her ankles.

“I got about three-fourths of the way down the driveway when I felt this horrible pain in my left leg, and I thought somebody was sawing it off, and I hadn’t realised what was happening – I saw nothing coming at me,” she explained.

She hurt her wrist while trying to shake off the fox before someone came to aid her and scared the fox away.

The animal then bit many other persons on Tilstone Place and Hollyvale Drive before winding up in Arbri’s backyard at the age of eight.

“I was just playing out here, and I felt something sharp on my leg, and it was a fox,” Arbri explained. His father leaped in.

“He grabs the jaw to get my leg free and throws it, and it got up like it wanted to attack me again, so he had to throw a brick at its head, and it fell down unconscious,” Arbri explained.

Arbri had observed foxes several times while playing in his backyard and claimed they had a nest nearby. His mother had even called animal control the day before the incident for suggestions on how to get rid of them.

“I just knew this day would come,” stated Arbri. “I was hoping it would be me because I am quite brave.” Because of the shots you have to take, I don’t know anything about my siblings.”

Law officers shot and killed the fox in his backyard, and the Monroe County Health Department confirmed the fox tested positive for rabies.

Arbri, his father, and Shirley Jacobson are being treated for rabies and recovering from the assaults.

Several other neighbours reported seeing the fox acting aggressively in the days preceding the attacks. One neighbour reported it to animal control, but they were unable to locate it.

Jacobson is concerned that there may be other rabid animals in the vicinity. 13WHAM has contacted Brighton’s animal control and is awaiting a response.

Anyone who comes into touch with the fox is urged to contact their doctor and report the occurrence to the County’s Rabies Control Programme at (585) 753-5171.