Fox rehabilitation provides vital care for urban and rural foxes injured by road traffic, mange, trapping and other hazards, with the aim of releasing healthy animals back into appropriate territories.
Foxes are highly stressed by human contact and confinement, making rehabilitation a careful balance between necessary treatment and minimising distress. High-welfare centres use visual barriers, quiet handling and appropriate housing to reduce stress. A key welfare decision is whether to rehabilitate or euthanise severely injured animals — a judgement requiring veterinary expertise and honest welfare assessment. Mange treatment in the wild, through medicated food drops, is increasingly used to reduce the need for captivity.