Urban foxes are a polarising presence in British cities. Understanding their welfare needs and addressing human-wildlife conflict humanely is important for both foxes and people.
Urban fox welfare is complicated by their liminal status between wild and human environments. Foxes with mange suffer severe welfare harms: intense itching, hair loss, skin thickening, weight loss, and - if untreated - death. Treatment through oral homeopathic remedy baiting is effective and can be provided by the National Fox Welfare Society. Beyond disease, urban foxes face chronic stress from human persecution, road casualties, and territorial competition. The most welfare-positive urban fox policy combines mange treatment, secure waste management (to reduce over-dependency on human food), and education campaigns to reduce deliberate persecution and the welfare harms it causes.