First Walk

Last night we took Ellie on her first walk. We had been in the house most of the day and getting out for a bit sounded good. It was just around dusk, a little before 8:00pm. It started off pretty uneventful as any good first walk should. There was plenty of the usual. Showing Ellie a blade of grass. Showing Ellie a leaf. Explaining what a cloud is. The usual.




Little did I know it was about to be the single most freakiest time of my life...

We were a little ways down the road, walking the same route that we have always walked. We rounded the corner and saw a lady on a bike that was stopped in the road and talking to something in the ditch. As we got closer, we saw that said thing was an animal. We couldn't really tell exactly what is was. All of a sudden, it stood up. I realized that it was either a fox or a small coyote and I knew that that wasn't good. We were still a pretty safe distance away, so I thought I would pull out my camera and snap a picture so I could report it to animal control.

As soon as I put my camera to my face, the little devil fox started charging at me. I knew that I couldn't let that thing get anywhere close to my less-than-a-week-old baby girl. My paternal instincts kicked into high gear. I yelled at Brie to start walking away while I stood my ground between them. Without really any defense I just sorta stood there and let it get closer and closer. I waited till it got with in striking distance and then I did the only thing I could do. I kicked it as hard as I could in the side. It went sailing across the road and was no more happy than before the kick.

At that point it started going after the lady on the bike. It kept trying to bite her, but she kept putting the bike between her and the fox. I felt bad for her so I tried to get the foxes attention once again. It worked. It started charging at me again. Once again I stood my ground waiting till it was close. I stepped back and booted it. This time my flip-flop came off. (Yeah, I was in flip-flops.) It took a couple of steps back to the woods and just looked at me. I yelled and barked and did anything I could to intimidate it. I took a step at it and it ran off into the woods yelping away.

What in the world? We were attacked by a fox!! Not something that happens everyday. I called and reported the incident to the police. After walking Brie home, I drove back with the car. I explained the situation to the police and they said they would be trying to trap it. I returned home to my very shaken bride. Upon getting home however, I realized that in my kicking the fox, it must have nipped at me and caught my foot. There was a small puncture where the skin was broke and it was bleeding a bit. I went straight to the ER. That is where I spent the next 4 hours to receive a rabies treatment. I'm guessing not many of you have undergone rabies treatment. It was 7 shots. I was a giant pin cushion. I still need to go back for 4 more rounds in the coming weeks. All in all we were thanking the Lord that it was not any worse. It could have been so much worse.

Here's a couple of pictures that best resemble the fox. I didn't take a shot of my own since the little beast started charging at me.