Dartmouth Fox Injured in Soccer Net Now Has a New Best Friend

What started out as a feel-good story about a community coming together to rescue an injured fox just got a whole lot cuter.

The New England Wildlife Center's Cape Branch received a grey fox kit back in May, after the baby had found himself injured and hopelessly tangled in a soccer net in Dartmouth. Luckily, a Dartmouth Animal Control officer arrived on scene quickly to make the save, and transported the fox to NEWC's Cape Branch in Barnstable for further medical attention.

"After an initial surgery to debride and close the wounds, we managed the site with daily honey bandage changes, antibiotics and pain medications," NEWC's Cape Branch shared in a Facebook post.

The fox remained in the wildlife center's care for a few months, where he ended up meeting a lifelong friend along the way. Another grey fox kit arrived at the New England Wildlife Center in Weymouth after an animal control officer found her orphaned, emaciated and weak in Norfolk.

Both kits recovered and regained their strength separately for a bit, but after receiving their vaccinations and going through a quarantine period, they were ready to meet one another.

"They were a bit standoffish at first, but before long they were fast friends," the NEWC's Cape Branch wrote. "They spent the next several months growing and learning together, and slowly graduated to larger enclosures."

The center shared that together, the foxes began climbing and going through enrichment activities, honing their survival skills so they would eventually be able to hold their own in the wild. And then, Monday, their big day finally came. Norfolk Animal Control picked up the pair and released them into the wild – together.

This is far from the only heartwarming story we've heard out of the New England Wildlife Center. Back in July, the center took in an injured goose named Arnold, and as veterinarians performed surgery on him, his loving partner stayed just on the other side of the glass door, pecking at the glass and making sure he was alright.