Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
New Jersey Woman Kills Rabid Fox With Her Bare Hands
By
Libby Torres
Published Jul 26, 2018
Modified Jul 26, 2018
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Courtesy DuBois Family
By
Libby Torres
Published Jul 26, 2018
Modified Jul 26, 2018
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
New Jersey woman Tammy DuBois was out inspecting her garden on July 18th when she suddenly found herself fighting off a rabid fox.
DuBois, 52, had stopped to check a bird feeder near her house when a fox darted from the bushes and jumped up against her leg making yipping noises, DuBois told NJ.com. "I just backed up," DuBois said. "It was going crazy, making noises and its mouth was moving."
DuBois said the fox bit her repeatedly on her right leg. Bleeding, she tried to escape inside her home, but the fox followed her onto the porch, continuing to bite DuBois as she struggled to open the door.
That's where things got primeval. With the fox still biting her leg, DuBois literally took matters into her own hands, reaching down to subdue the animal. She said she used one hand to hold its snout shut, while the other grabbed the fox's neck and squeezed.
"It was biting at my leg, I had to do something," DuBois told NJ.com. After a brief struggle, she said the fox went limp, and DuBois tossed the dead fox away from her. "I couldn't do anything else to get it away from me," she said. "I don't like to kill anything."
DuBois was treated at a nearby hospital for her injuries and has begun a two week-long treatment for rabies. Tests conducted on the fox carcass confirmed the animal was rabid.
This is the third rabies case confirmed in Salem County, New Jersey, this year, although it marks the first where a human was attacked.
Residents of Westchester county in New York have also recently been menaced by a potentially rabid fox which attacked three people over the weekend.
Tagged
attack
fox
new jersey
rabies
Libby Torres
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Inside the Midtown Bus Terminal rebuild: Decks over Lincoln Tunnel approach, a new park
The new deck will be used to store buses and supplies while crews tear down and rebuild the Midtown bus terminal. Once the project wraps, the space will be converted into a new park.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 3:44 p.m. ET
Black couple seeking Queens apartment sues over racist text from broker
The broker accidentally sent them a text that said "Ugh, they're Black," according to the suit.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
News
Black couple seeking Queens apartment sues over racist text from broker
The broker accidentally sent them a text that said "Ugh, they're Black," according to the suit.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
NJ early voting begins Saturday. Here's everything you need to know.
By
Mike Hayes
Countdown clocks are coming to an NYC bus stop near you
By
Stephen Nessen
Are NJ schools unconstitutionally segregated? It's back to the courts to decide.
By
Colleen O'Dea
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .