Man, boy bitten by rabid fox
Animal 12th with rabies in Charleston County this year
MOUNT PLEASANT — On Monday morning, Jeff and Christina Davis sat at the breakfast table in their Dunes West home. Through the window, they saw their 9-year-old neighbor Brody Padoll walking to the bus stop.
Behind him, a little red fox stalked.
The incident, full of screaming and excitement, ended with the fox biting Brody and Jeff Davis before being trapped in the Davis' computer room.
Test results confirmed Wednesday that the fox was rabid, health officials said, making it the 12th rabid animal in Charleston County in 2008. Last year, 26 rabid animals were confirmed in the county and 162 statewide.
Previous Stories
Man being treated after rabies risk, published 08/13/08
West Ashley woman being treated against rabies, published 01/26/08
Both bite victims will receive a regimen of preventive shots. Once the rabies virus reaches the brain, the disease is fatal to humans and animals.
When the fox started chasing Brody, Davis ran outside to help, he said. He hollered for Brody to run up the stairs and into their raised house. As Brody scrambled up the steps, the fox bit him on his calf.
About 20 minutes later, Davis went out on the balcony to look for the fox, fearing the animal might be rabid and would needed to be tested.
"This little sucker comes up and starts gnawing and snapping," he said.
"We slammed the door on the fox, but he wiggled his way inside," Christina Davis said.
Jeff Davis tried to kick the fox back outside and got bitten, he said.
"I got angry and picked it up and threw it in the office," he said.
There, the fox threw itself at the window, trashed the mail and chewed up the computer, before falling asleep on the dog bed.
Neither Jeff Davis nor Brody required stitches for their wounds, Christina Davis said. Brody's mother, Debbie Padoll said, "(Brody) did not cry, did not make a peep."
Debbie Padoll was at the Davis' house before the fox charged inside. Also at home were the Davis' daughters, ages 9 and 12, and another neighbor.
Sue Ferguson with state Department of Health and Environmental Control said, "Avoid wild animals acting tame and tame animals acting wild."
Reach Jill Coley at 937-5719 or jcoley@postandcourier.com.
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Comments
This article has 21 comment(s)
Posted by NativeSon on November 6, 2008 at 5 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The fox was probably a democrap because he put the bite on everyone.
Posted by WhoCares on November 6, 2008 at 5:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
yeah.... or perhaps he was just a rabid fox :)
Posted by ColdBud on November 6, 2008 at 6:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I expected to read about someone doing something stupid and paying the price. I was wrong. What a freaky morning they had. I hope everyone recovers quickly. If there is one rabid fox, there are more rabid animals...
Posted by theronce on November 6, 2008 at 7:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I know this is not a funny event, and all will turn out well, but...I can see me doing the same thing...getting mad and just picking it up. Also, it would have been a shame if the daughters' homework had gotten chewed up. Can you picture it. "Ms. Teacher, a rabid fox ate my homework in Dad's office." Yeah, I liked Sue's comment, too.
Posted by ColdBud on November 6, 2008 at 8:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm not messing with any animal that "chews up my computer"!
That fox must have a real byte!
I see a lot of women doing the physical fitness walk through our neighborhood in the mornings... none of them are "foxes" :)
Posted by eyfigueroa on November 6, 2008 at 8:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Coldbud: LOLOL
You have officially been smacked on the hand for that one!
Posted by beefsaver on November 6, 2008 at 8:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Oh, the puns, the puns!
Personally, while this is sad that two people were bitten and the fox obviously had to be destroyed, I found a certain ray of humor. So the biting and the attacking are over, but the fox is still pretty amped up. Foxy's in the study, thrashing around, chewing on papers, computers, anything... then it sees something. "Oh, a bed!" it thinks and konks out.
Moral: let not a fox with foam into your home, but if you must, a dog bed you can trust.
Posted by WhatMeWorry on November 6, 2008 at 8:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
theronce - Ah, the old "rabid fox ate my homework" excuse! Very funny!
Posted by ysillyme on November 6, 2008 at 10:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
coldbud and nativeson~
Some people find humor in the damnest places. How about expending some energy where it is most needed, say like logging off?
Posted by ColdBud on November 6, 2008 at 10:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
ysillyme, I logged off... what now?
Get over yourself.
Posted by Girleygirl on November 6, 2008 at 10:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I bet all of this happened in 5 minutes or less. I hope everyone involved is okay...poor little computer room.
Posted by ysillyme on November 6, 2008 at 10:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
coldbud~
Bite me!
Posted by ColdBud on November 6, 2008 at 10:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Update! The computer will be just fine. McAfee Security Center stopped the Rabies Virus before any harm could be done.
Posted by AHLeland on November 6, 2008 at 12:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Funny stuff, CB. On a more serious note, I've had rabies shots. They are no fun! At least they do not still have to give them in the stomach.
Posted by blah_blah_blah on November 6, 2008 at 12:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
same thing happened in Arizona. Its like an X-Files or CSI episode waiting to happen.
Posted by eyfigueroa on November 6, 2008 at 1:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
ahleland: curious, how many shots and what is the duration?
Posted by ColdBud on November 6, 2008 at 1:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I joke around a lot, but as I already stated, I hope everyone recovers quickly. I would hate to have to get rabies shots. I'm just an average looking guy though... never had any foxes chasing me :)
Posted by AHLeland on November 6, 2008 at 2:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ey-
I was pretty young so I can't remember exactly but it seems like I went every day for at least a week. My dad took me for ice cream after each shot so that made it tolerable. I think the first one was in my arm, the next several were in my behind, and the last one was in the arm.
Posted by grannyofseven_2 on November 6, 2008 at 3:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
maybe they should come up with a rabie shot for human every year (only joking) but it is getting bad. it seems we sees this every other month
and cb average is good.
Posted by grannyofseven_2 on November 6, 2008 at 3:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
OOps Rabies sorry about that
Posted by amybug99 on November 6, 2008 at 4:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow...two reports of Rabid Fox Attacks in the same day!
http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-odd...