The animal, which a day earlier is believed to have bitten a state senator's cat in North Kingstown, was found and shot by the police.

01:00 AM EDT on Saturday, June 24, 2006

BY BETHONIE BUTLER
Journal Staff Writer

NORTH KINGSTOWN -- A woman and her two children were treated at Kent Hospital, Warwick, yesterday after a rabid fox bit the mother and dragged her 20-month-old son across a friend's lawn by latching onto his shoe.

The 7:30 a.m. incident occurred as Mary McGarry, of Johnston, was dropping her children off at a baby sitter at 140 Brookhaven Rd. in the Quidnessett section of town.

The police said the small female red fox bit McGarry and then clung to her wrist. When McGarry managed to shake off the animal, it went after her son, Aidan.

McGarry struck the fox repeatedly before it let go of her son and fled the area. McGarry's daughter, Abigail, 3, was not injured, but the police said they believed the animal either jumped on the toddler or brushed by her as it ran away. McGarry and her son suffered minor puncture wounds. All three were taken to the hospital for treatment for possible rabies infections.

"I had to literally grab the jaws of this fox and open its mouth up," said McGarry last night, when reached at home. She said that, with rain in the forecast, she had put sneakers on her son. "Thank God he had on thick sneakers. He actually didn't get punctured at all; his sneakers saved him."

After being treated at the hospital, McGarry said she and her children were feeling better. She said her daughter was more in shock than anything else.

Animal-control and police officers from the North Kingstown Police Department searched for the fox. A resident on nearby Peach Tree Road spotted the fox on her property and alerted the police.

Sgt. Steven St. Onge fired one shot at the animal, but he and a fellow officer had to each fire one more to kill it.

State veterinarian Dr. Christopher Hannifan announced yesterday afternoon that the fox did have rabies. The police said McGarry and her children would receive a series of shots over the next few weeks in addition to the precautionary shots they had yesterday morning.

State Sen. James Sheehan said he was attacked a day earlier by what was believed to be the same fox. A fox approached him while he was riding his bicycle less than a mile away from Brookhaven Road. Sheehan said he was able to fend off the animal with his bicycle tire, but the fox bit his cat, Marco. Sheehan said he did not receive any treatment as he was never bitten by the animal, but Marco received a booster shot.

bbutler@projo.com / (401) 277-7504