Hansel and Gretel are two foxes that came to us at the end of January in 2024 from a fur farm. The rescue was coordinated by a fox sanctuary in Minnesota - they rescued 500 foxes from the fur farm! The fox rescue reached out to us asking if we could take two of the 500.

Hansel and Gretel were estimated to be about two years old, and both had different sets of medical issues. Gretel had some skin concerns, and Hansel had concerns with his mouth and breathing. After our initial vet visits and inspections, we introduced Hansel to two other foxes, George and Gypsy. Gretel prefers to live alone.

Later in the year, in June, our animal care team brought Hansel into our veterinarian to be evaluated for periodontal disease. Once anesthetized, our vet noted that Hansel’s teeth were soft and sponge like, with air pockets forming above his teeth. Our veterinarian said that this is common with fur farms and puppy mills - with lack of nutrition and proper dental care, their teeth can become very inflamed and painful. Hansel had to have all of his top teeth removed, and a few of his bottoms removed.

After surgery was complete, our animal care team moved Hansel into our medical isolation unit to heal. His diet now consists of finely minced raw chicken - and he eats like a champ! Once Hansel is all healed up, he will go back into his enclosure with his friends Gypsy and George.

   We all agree, fur looks better on the foxes than on a coat!