Staff report
GOLD HILL ó A woman fought off a rabid fox that attacked her as she walked her dog.
Barbara Mitzen, 50, of 1054 Gaines Drive, was able to fend off the fox enough that she wasn’t seriously injured. She was bitten, however, and will have to take treatments for exposure to rabies.
Mitzen said she spotted the fox when she was out walking her beagle, Charlie, around 12:45 p.m. Friday. She stopped to admire it and noticed it whining and yelping. She realized the fox was rabid and tried to scare it away, but it ran toward her and attacked her.
Mitzen got her dog out of the way and struggled with the fox, which bit her once on the thigh. She was able to fight off the animal and ran to a neighbor’s house to call 911. Rowan County Animal Control officers and Sheriff’s Office deputies responded and killed the fox, which tested positive for rabies.
Mitzen was able to return to work, even though the treatments have caused her to feel badly. She does not have rabies and is not contagious.
See Thursday’s Salisbury Post for details.