Can you help Dexter? Animal rescue sanctuary rescues silver fox

The emergency rescue was undertaken by the ARK Wildlife Park and Animal Rescue Sanctuary in Stickney – and keepers have already called the stunning, two-year-old creature Dexter.

Dexter was rescued following a call from a local veterinary clinic on Thursday afternoon, when a member of the public took him in and requested that he be put to sleep, due to them deeming him ‘too aggressive to be tamed’.

Thankfully, the vets refused to destroy Dexter and managed to convince the previous owner to sign him over into their care.

This left the vet team in the tricky situation of being the owners of this beautiful creature but without the facilities to give him a long term home.

So they immediately set about trying to find him a forever home. They called the Ark who are known to specialise in rescue cases like this. They already house rescued foxes and have lots of experience with foxes and other exotic species.

The ARK agreed to take him in and he was derived to them later on Thursday evening.

“Dexter is castrated and appears to be in reasonable health. So far he has not been aggressive towards the keepers; he just seems a little nervous and is behaving exactly as a fox should. He is weary and scared but who can blame him? As with any fox, he is totally unsuitable to be kept as a household pet,” explained Jamie Mintram, who is one of the owners and head keepers at the ARK.

Michelle Mintram added: “When he arrived he came straight out of his crate into the spacious quarantine facility that will be his home for the short term. Since arriving he has been playing with squeaky toys and has taken a carrot from my hand.”

“In the long term he will need a large, natural, outdoor enclosure, like all the other animals at the Ark and for this, we would like to ask the public for their support. We have set up a gofundme page for Dexter to help finance the building of a new enclosure. We are a non-profit sanctuary so unfortunately do not have spare funds to build large enclosures at the drop of a hat.”

Any donation, big or small, will be greatly appreciated and the names of everyone who contributes will be displayed on a plaque next to the enclosure. For large donations or sponsorship, the sanctuary would also be delighted to provide family tickets or annual passes as appropriate, so that those kind people or companies who have helped Dexter can meet him and the many other rescued animals that live at the ARK.’’

To help Dexter the Silver Fox, please visit the gofundme page, where you will be able to make a donation towards his new enclosure and ongoing care.