HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — A West End woman is desperate to find her missing pet — a fox named Swiper.
Swiper ran out of Brittany Smalley’s home Monday night when the storm blew her front door open, she said.
Swiper, who is almost three years old, was last spotted Tuesday morning near the CVS at Patterson Avenue and Lauderdale Road in western Henrico.
“We tried to catch him, but he bolted,” Smalley said. “He is very skittish and he is overstimulated by being outside.”
Some foxes are legal to have as pets in Virginia due to a loophole in the law, Henrico Animal Control Lt. Shawn Sears said.
Domestic foxes are okay to keep as pets as long as they have a coat that was different than a red, wild fox native to Virginia.
Swiper was five weeks old when Smalley bought him from a breeder. The fox was born and raised in captivity.
Anyone who sees Swiper can call Henrico Animal Control at 804-727-8800.