“The fur got thicker by the age of three months. His face got pointy and his tail got longer than the average dog. Other companion dogs seemed to be afraid of my pet, so I walked them on a leash. “Wang, a woman in China, decided to seek help from a local animal expert after her new puppy, which she brought home from the pet store 3 months later, showed signs that ‘he wasn’t at all.
She took the animal on a leash to a local zoo, which surprised staff when they saw it. The employee noted that based on size this is actually a domesticated fox – not a puppy! Their body odor is a trait that foxes carry, which gets worse as they get older. While some species of foxes look a lot like puppies when they are young, everything else changes with age, such as their distinctive bushy tails and lack of bark.
Foxes sold as pets are unfortunately very common in Asia – many pet stores sell them illegally as pets. Their true identity is often a mystery to buyers, in the guise of a dog. This leads many unsuspecting pet owners to expect their dogs’ behavior and traits to be “puppies,” until they reach maturity after a few months. If Ms. Wang had kept the fox, he could have contracted the disease and possibly destroyed her home.
The fox’s “scent” was more than she could take. Despite this, Wang did all she could to give the fox a comfortable environment before returning it to the zoo.
Wang noticed that the fox suddenly stopped eating raw chicken and dog food – this made him worry about his long-term safety. Then I decided it was better for him to stay in the zoo, where he belongs with other foxes. Even though she was upset to see him go, she was sure she had made the right decision.
The zoo took the fox and quarantined it to make sure it was healthy before presenting it to others. In the fox’s barn, the fox was placed in a suitable environment where it could have a proper diet, proper medical care when needed, as well as the ability to bond with others of its kind. Wild animals should never be kept as pets – don’t you agree?
