Rabid Fox on the Loose Has Residents Concerned - WSET.com - ABC13

Blacksburg, VA - An aggressive fox that bit a Blacksburg woman has some neighbors very concerned.

Police are keeping an eye out for the animal because it still hasn't been captured or killed.

People in the area have definitely heard of the attack and are taking precautions for everything from their children to their pets.

Until the fox that attacked a woman in a driveway is caught and tested for rabies, the Blacksburg neighborhood off Glade Road will be on edge.

Kaitlin Brewer, who lives next door to where the fox attacked, has fonder memories of the animals.

Years ago, a den of foxes used to live under her shed. That doesn't make the news of the attack any easier to take, and that means doing everything she can to keep her pets safe.

"We are keeping her on a leash. We're not letting her out. She's 14 years old so we don't want anything to happen to her. We have a new puppy as well so we are being real careful and not letting them out at night and not letting them off the leash at all," said Brewer.

Her biggest fear is for her buddy, 14-year-old MacKenzie who is in the last year of being able to get a rabies shot because of her age.

Backing up to their property is a large swath of undeveloped land where hunting is forbidden and wildlife is abundant.

"After that we are kind of out of luck if she gets attacked," said Brewer.

That's the message the Health Department wants to get out in the wake of the attack: Keep your animals vaccinated.

"People in the state of Virginia should understand that there's a risk of exposure, everywhere in Virginia, everyday, and that's why we stress prevention so much," said Robert Parker with the Virginia Department of Health.

So far, not including this latest incident, Montgomery County has seen nine cases of rabies this year. That includes two cases in cows.

Statewide, the numbers reported are in line with the number of cases reported last year at this time, which were 618 cases.