Fantastic Mr Fox! Animal lover adopts fox cub who befriended her pug and springer spaniel after its brother was run over and killed
- Cliodhna O’Leary, 29, from Cork, Ireland, was first visited by Foxy in February
- The fox was adopted by Ms O’Leary and befriended her springer spaniel puppy
- Ms O’Leary said fox, whose brother was run over, accompanies her for dog walks
An animal lover has adopted an orphaned fox cub who befriended her dogs after its brother was run over and killed this year.
Cliodhna O’Leary, 29, from Cork, Ireland, was first visited by the ‘smiling’ Foxy, who was two-weeks-old at the time, and her brother in February this year.
Then after the animal’s brother was run over, Ms O’Leary decided to take the fox under her wing and watched in awe as the creature befriended her pug and springer spaniel puppy.
Cliodhna O’Leary, 29, from Cork, Ireland, watched in saw as Foxy befriended her pug and springer spaniel puppy
The ‘smiling’ first began visiting the healthcare assistant in February this year and soon formed a bond with her
Ms O’Leary decided to take the fox under her wing after the animal’s brother was run over and killed
The healthcare assistant said: ‘Every day, I call out her name and she comes running. But she will never come for anyone else as she is very wary and nervous.
‘She then puts her paws on my leg and lets me pet her. Or sometimes, I wake up and she is at my window. I have let her in for food before.
‘She gently takes it from my hand and then hops back out. She is such a beautiful animal.
‘I’ve fed her since she was about two weeks old – she used to visit with her brother.
‘It was so sad when he got ran over as she was always calling out for him.
‘She missed him terribly but I think my pug and springer spaniel helped her as they’ve become friends.’
The playful fox, who is ‘always listening and on the lookout’, now accompanies Ms O’Leary for dog walks.
Foxy was just two-weeks-old when she first began visiting Ms O’Leary at her home with her brother. Pictured: Foxy with her brother before he got run over
Ms O’Leary said the ‘smiling’ fox (left and right with Ms O’Leary’s springer spaniel) befriended her pug and springer spaniel puppy
The healthcare assistant, who takes the fox out for dog walks, described how it had been ‘such a pleasure’ to watch her pet grow
Ms O’Leary said: ‘She is a little bit like a dog but she is always listening and on the lookout. Her ears are always up and she is ready to run.
‘She is also always smiling. It is so amazing. She grins at me every day.’
The animal lover described how it had been ‘such a pleasure’ to watch her pet grow.
She said: ‘She will eat almost anything. I have no doubts that she would eat my chicken and hens but she hasn’t. I tend to feed her meat.
‘She is such a pleasure to be around and it has been amazing watching her grow.’