BPD: Fox bites six people in Brighton on Friday

BRIGHTON, N.Y. – The Brighton Police Department said that on Friday evening a fox bit six people in the center of Brighton, south of Twelve Corners.

Lt. Timothy Karch with the Brighton Police Department said they received multiple phone calls from different residents in the area, the neighborhoods just east of the intersection of South Winton and West Fall Road, that they had been bitten by a fox.

“We responded to a couple of calls. We tried to locate the fox, and it was located in someone’s back yard and euthanized,” Lt. Karch said. “From initial examination of the fox, it appears it was sick, but we don’t know if it was rabid or if it had mange.”

“I don’t know if the fox thought people were a threat or if it was just because of the illness, it just was no longer afraid of people and was just lashing out trying to attack them. It doesn’t appear that any of the injuries were severe. Most people were already on the way to the hospital and urgent care to get treated shortly after contacting us or even before contacting us.”

The Monroe County Health Department responded and took custody of the fox so they could send it off for testing in Albany.

Everyone that did contact the Brighton Police Department to report that they were bitten by the fox, will be contacted directly by the health department to advise them on what next steps are, and the precautions they need to take to ensure that they remain healthy.

Lt. Karch said that if you came into contact with the animal, and haven’t talked to the police yet, please call 911 so they can get you documented and put in touch with the health department.

If anyone sees an animal acting strangely, or if that animal approaches them when that animal would normally run way from people, get inside as soon as possible and call 911.