A fox that was being aggressive and trying to attack six barn cats, four horses, and two cows at a Polk City property has been confirmed to have been infected with rabies.

The owner of the animals saw the fox snapping at her cats in her barn on July 21, 2021, and killed it. 

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control responded to collect the fox, and it was sent to the state laboratory in Tampa for testing.

On Friday, July 23rd, the results of the test confirmed that the fox was infected with rabies. 

The woman’s animals are not currently vaccinated for rabies. They will be quarantined for possible exposure. 

"Most of the rabies cases we see in Polk County are either bats or raccoons. This is a reminder that any mammals can get rabies. If you have a dog or cat, get them vaccinated against rabies. And anytime you see a wild animal interacting with your pets, contact Animal Control immediately." Grady Judd, Sheriff 

This is Polk County’s second case of rabies in 2021. The previous case involved a raccoon last month, also in the Polk City area.