Pet dogs killed by foxes in horror Wantirna attacks

A DISTRAUGHT dog owner is mourning the loss of his pet toy poodle after a fox mauled it to death in his Wantirna backyard. The attack comes as a chihuahua was killed by the predators in the same street last week.

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TWO pet dogs have been killed by foxes in separate incidents in the same Wantirna street in six weeks.

Daniel Morphett’s second poodle Chloe is now only allowed outside on a lead and under close watch after a fox killed her companion, Abi. Picture: Steve Tanner

It has prompted the owner of one dog to renew the call for a fox cull in the area.

Kathy Morphett said her adult son saw their nine-year-old toy poodle Abi mauled to death by a fox in her backyard on Clarence Rd on August 17.

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And Ms Morphett said last Monday night, her daughter saw a fox attack and kill a chihuahua, also on Clarence Rd — less than 100m from her house.

“My daughter heard a yelp and ran out and saw a fox dragging a small dog across the road,” she said.

“It was pretty distressing.”

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Ms Morphett said her other poodle Chloe was now only allowed in the backyard on a lead, for her own protection.

She believed the foxes had come from nearby Bateman Street Bushland Reserve or near the Dandenong Creek.

The fox that got into their backyard had somehow scaled their 2m fence, she said.

“We saw a fox climbing over the fence probably 15 years ago but didn’t think it was enough of a problem to be a danger to domestic animals,” she said.

Foxes are an ongoing problem in Melbourne’s outer east and Knox Council has already held several culls. File photo

Ms Morphett wanted to warn others to the dangers posed by foxes.

“Other animals could be killed,” she said.

“Or if someone’s small child is in their backyard on a warm day, who knows if they’ll approach a child.”

It’s not the first time a fox has scaled a fence in Knox — in January, Wantirna couple Simone and Johnny Moore had to extend their fence after a fox scaled it and got into their property.

And in February, a Lysterfield man told the Leader a fox about the size of a german shepherd climbed over his 2m cyclone fence.

Robert from Lysterfield with one of the foxes he shot on his property. Picture: Christopher Chan

The incidents prompted calls for a fox cull.

At the time, the council’s engineering and infrastructure director Ian Bell told the Leader it would consider culls at Old Joes Creek Reserve in Boronia; Lakewood Reserve, Knoxfield; and Knox Regional Sports Park in Wantirna South.

The council has been contacted for further comment.

Parks Victoria ranger Naomi O’Byrne said they conducted annual fox control programs to protect native wildlife within the Dandenong Valley Parklands.

She said the program was run in partnership with other government agencies and used soft-jaw traps to remove between 30 and 40 foxes from the park each year.