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Citizens rescue fox in need of help downtown Oakville by Dominik Kurek Oakville Beaver Staff 3 | Thursday, July 4, 2013 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com What do you do when you find a fox in downtown Oakville? You take him to the hair salon. At least that's what a group of four people did Tuesday evening after they found a mangy fox that appeared to need some help. "It was obviously in a lot of pain and sick," said Elizabeth Underhill, one of the rescuers. "It's not a good sign when wild animals come into an urban environment and we didn't want to see it suffer. We couldn't just walk away when the animal clearly was doing very poorly. We all care for animals." Underhill was on her way home from work in downtown Oakville, waiting for a bus at around 6 p.m., when she spotted the animal around the Trafalgar Road and Church Street area. "Someone had put garbage bags out and I saw this little orange, doggy-looking thing beside the garbage bags and I thought `that's interesting. I wonder who left their dog tied up'," she said. When she came closer, she realized it was a fox trying to eat a sand- This fox, obviously in need of assistance, was spotted by a woman waiting for her bus after work in downtown Oakville. With the assistance of another woman and a couple, the fox was handed over to animal authorities for treatment and rehabilitation. | photos courtesy Elizabeth Underhill wich out of the garbage. "It had crusty scabs all over its face and its body and its tail," she said. The fox was also a little lame on its rear legs. Underhill decided to keep an eye on the animal and was joined by another woman, Esther Edwards. They called the Oakville & Milton Humane Society and while they waited, they were joined by a couple. The group of four decided to catch the animal so it wouldn't get away while they waited for humane society officers to arrive. They used towels and a leash and trapped it against a wall. They wrapped it in a towel and a sweater and brought it to the Hair Envy Family Hair Studio, owned by Edwards, and stayed with it until the humane society officers arrived. "I do everybody's hair from when they're little, to when they have no hair and no memory of it," Edwards said. "So, even a mangy fox is allowed in." Edwards is no stranger to animals, domesticated or otherwise. She and her family have and have had dogs and rabbits. "I have four kids. Everything that's waif and stray, the kids are like, `Can we keep it?' If I didn't keep close range on it, we could have ourselves our own zoo," she said. They've even taken care of injured squirrels until they were able to be released. The fox was taken to the Toronto Wildlife Centre where it will be rehabilitated. After rehab, it will be released within one kilometre of where it was found. Alert: Your ash trees may be at risk from the SECTIONALS CANADIAN MADE Emerald Ash Borer ® TruGreen, Canada's leading lawn and tree care company, has been contracted to treat ash trees on public lands in the Town of Oakville from June through August. Ash trees in the Oakville area may be at risk from Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive pest that destroys ash trees if left untreated. Avoid the costs of removal and replacement by treating your ash trees today with help from TruGreen. Special pricing available for Oakville residents. Call or visit TruGreen online for details. 1-866-294-7962 TruGreen.ca Choice of Styles Fabrics/Leathers & Configuration Learn more about protecting your ash trees. Join the Oakville Canopy Club. For more information visit oakville.ca Furniture & Home Decor 217 Lakeshore Rd. E. Downtown Oakville www.swissinteriors.com 905-844-3530 Proudly Supporting Canadian Manufacturers P