Encounter with rabid fox was 'scary experience' for Rolesville couple

It all started when one couple encountered an aggressive fox in Rolesville, in what they said was one of the scariest experiences of their lives.

Suzanne Dunning received a call from her neighbor Friday morning warning her that a fox had just charged at her neighbor’s husband in the garage and was headed in the direction of Dunning’s house.

Minutes later, Dunning said the fox was unyielding as she and her husband tried to avoid contact.

“It came out of nowhere. It just ran up on the porch, straight up at us,” said Dunning. “It was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen. I have never seen an animal that was just relentlessly just coming at you. I mean, it had no fear of us.”

Rolesville police arrived on the scene at the Wall Street subdivision. Their first line of defense was a Taser.

“It like stunned it for a moment and it got back up and it ran off the porch and came right back at him again,” said Dunning.

At that point, the officer instructed the family to get inside the house.

“He drew his weapon and fired a shot off and I think it hit the fox and it got up and charged at him again and he…had to shoot it again,” said Dunning.

Wake County’s public health division said it’s important for people to know about the incident because of the potential for exposure, especially to unvaccinated animals.