A Dog Named Socks Helps Save 6-Year-Old Girl From Rabid Fox

A dog named Socks is being credited with helping to get a rabid fox away from a 6-year-old girl, after she'd been bitten.

Bath Police responded just before 6:00 Monday evening to a home on the Bumpy Hill Road in Bath, to a report of a fox that had bitten a child. The 6-year-old girl was visiting a friend, and they were playing outside, when they were chased into the house by a fox. It managed to bite her leg before the male homeowner could get to it. He kicked the fox until it ran outside, where the family's dog chased it down and killed it.

A rabies test, performed by the Maine Warden Service, confirmed that the fox was rabid. The child is undergoing medical care for the virus and Socks, whose vaccinations were up-to-date, is currently quarantined at home.

This is the 5th rabies incident this year in Bath, so police are reminding residents to keep their animals current on their vaccinations. Anyone who sees wildlife acting strangely should leave it alone and call the police. To help avoid having animals visit their property, residents should keep trash covered and secured, especially if it has any food waste.