Click here for updates on this story
DOUGLAS COUNTY, GA (WGCL) — Katie Hawthorne saw what appeared to be a gray fox attack her husband.
“It came out of nowhere and just attacked him,” Hawthorne said. “It was trying to get at his face and neck and he was like this.”
It happened around 1:30 p.m. Monday in Winston, Douglas County.
“I witnessed it and it was scary for me,” Hawthorne said. “I was shaking so bad I couldn’t even dial the number. I had to voice call it in because I was so scared.”
She tells me her husband was doing yard work when it happened.
“The fox came out of there and was hunkered down and crept over here,” Hawthorne said. “My husband was standing over here pulling the weeds.”
They believe the fox was going after their pet duck, Priscilla, that was also in the yard. Her husband kicked it away, but that didn’t stop it.
“That’s when it came back full force and jumped at his face,” she said. “I mean literally went up into his face and that’s when he fell down, on level ground, and he had to cover his face to be protected.”
It finally ran off, but came back again the very next morning attacking a family friend as he was sitting on their front porch.
“He was just sitting there on his phone, wasn’t messing with it and it bit him on his ankle,” she said.
Now both men are having to get a series of rabies shots over the next few weeks. Douglas County Animal Control has set up traps around the house trying to catch it.
For now, the Hawthorne’s feel trapped in their own home.
“My kids don’t even come outside unless we are with them and we told them they have to stay on the porch,” Hawthorne said.
“It was very scary cause I have all these kids and it could have been one of them and it’s still out here.”
According to the Douglas County Animal Control, rabies is preventable for people and pets by vaccination. So animal control advises to make sure your pets are updated on vaccinations.
Don’t leave out food or garbage that can attract wild animals. And of course stay away from them if you do see them.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
