Should injured and captured wild foxes be spared a death sentence and given a home?

One organisation which has been rescuing foxes for three years is now in jeopardy following a government proposal to crack down on this practice.

Sydney Fox Rescue said it would no longer be able to rescue injured or orphaned foxes if the proposal for a new pest control order is approved in NSW.

PROPOSED NEW PEST CONTROL ORDER

STRATHFIELD WOWAN CLAIMS FOX KILLED HER PET RABBIT

media_camera Mr Jackson-Martin is concerned that they will be forced to close if proposal is passed.

The Homebush and Enmore-based rescue organisation which rehomes up to 40 rescued foxes a year, will be forced to close down if Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson’s proposal is enacted.

The government plan, announced last week, means foxes would no longer be held in captivity without a permit.

NSW is currently the only state where it is legal to keep foxes in captivity.

People who currently own foxes can apply to Local Land Services for a permit to keep the animal, but the acquiring of any new foxes will be prohibited.

Sydney Fox Rescue president Charlie Jackson-Martin said while they support the idea of having a permit, they do not support a limited number of permits for current fox owners only.

media_camera Vice president of Sydney Fox Rescue Bridie Robins, media_camera Charlie Jackson-Martin with a baby fox

“We would like to see provisions for an ongoing permit system to allow our organisation to continue reducing wild fox numbers and offering foxes a second chance at life in captivity,” Mr Jackson-Martin said.

Ms Hodgkinson said the proposal seeks to better support the coordination of community-wide fox control programs.

“Placing a PCO on foxes will bring the control of this pest into line with other threats to our environment and agricultural production such as feral pigs and wild dogs,” she said.

media_camera Rescued fox playing with a cat.

Mr Jackson-Martin said they work hard to ensure that all foxes in their program are no longer a threat to native or the livestock industry.

“All foxes are quarantined and vaccinated to prevent disease, neutered or spayed to prevent breeding and securely housed,” he said.

Sydney Fox Rescue are currently drafting a legal submission for the DPI consultation on the proposed PCO. This submission will call for provisions to be made for future permits. They are also calling on other animal rescue and animal welfare organisations to write submissions.

They currently have 3000 signatures. You can sign the petition here.

media_camera Sydney Fox Rescue may be forced to close down.

ABOUT SYDNEY FOX RESCUE:

● work to remove orphaned and injured fox kits from the wild and rehome them in captivity

● never release into the wild

● fox owners who adopt through their program gain experience volunteering at their shelter and under go a training course in fox

● have stringent requirements for enclosures. Many fox owners are wildlife

carers or ecologists who use their foxes to assist in predator aversion training

● most of rescues come from rural areas

● fox owners across Sydney including St Peters, Petersham and Enmore

AFFECTS OF PCO IF ENACTED

According to Sydney Fox Rescue:

● Fox kits will continue to be found by members of the public, without a regulated rehoming program these kits are not always going to be euthanised but rather may be kept illegally or even released into the wild.

● In Victoria for example where foxes are currently illegal to own in captivity, individuals are routinely found with pet foxes in spite of the legislation

● Foxes kept illegally would be unable to seek veterinary care.

● Foxes kept illegally would also be unable to be desexed which means if they escaped or were released they could breed contributing to the growing fox population in the wild

BENEFITS OF PCO

According to Katrina Hodgkinson:

● Coordinated fox control is necessary because in order to achieve the best results, fox control requires the community’s commitment to long-term integrated programs

● Placing a PCO on foxes will bring the control of this pest into line with other threats to our environment and agricultural production such as feral pigs and wild dogs

● Foxes have a significant impact on our agricultural industries, through killing and maiming livestock like sheep and goats, and studies indicate that lamb losses due to foxes can be as high as 30 per cent

● Foxes are a blight on our agricultural sector – this new PCO will send the right message and bring regulation in NSW into line with management of this pest in other States