Massachusetts Rescue Fox Once Heartbroken Welcomes Three Orphaned Furbabies
Love is the strongest force in the world – even among animals. It can mend broken hearts, bring healing, and spark joy where there was once only loneliness. The story of a fox named Hope is a shining example of just how powerful love can be.
Hope’s journey began on the side of a road in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. She was in terrible shape when animal control officers found her and rushed her to Newhouse Wildlife Rescue, a non-profit dedicated to rehabilitating injured and orphaned wildlife.
There, founder Jane Newhouse welcomed her with compassion and immediately arranged for veterinary care.
The vet discovered that Hope suffered from canine vestibular disease, a condition that causes disorientation, head tilts, and loss of balance.
With dedicated treatment and months of recovery at the rescue, Hope slowly improved. Her balance returned, her health stabilized, and her spirit began to lift. Yet despite her progress, something was missing.
Hope was lonely. With no other foxes at the rescue, she longed for companionship. That changed when Jane received three orphaned baby foxes, each from a different mother. Raising them apart was proving difficult. As Jane explained:
“It’s difficult to teach baby foxes how to fox without an adult. If they’re too used to people, and we release them, they’re gonna be approaching people and scaring people.”
Jane placed the kits together in one enclosure beside Hope’s. That’s when she noticed something remarkable – Hope, who had never once tried to dig out of her space, began attempting to reach the babies.
At the same time, the little foxes tried desperately to reach her. Their connection was undeniable.
After watching this behavior for a week, Jane cautiously introduced them. She placed a muzzle on Hope just in case, but her fears quickly melted away.
“There was no growling, there was no fear, and all the kits were immediately excited,” Jane recalled.
It was as if they had been waiting for each other. Hope, who had endured six months of loneliness, needed them as much as they needed her. From that day forward, Hope became their guardian.
Supervised at first, then trusted completely, Hope stepped naturally into the role of mother. She taught the kits to fear humans – a crucial survival skill – and cared for them with remarkable patience. Jane noticed how selfless she was:
“She’s such a good mom. She would wait to eat often until they’d eaten. When they’re sleeping she would sleep right beside the igloo that they go into. They’ll pull on her face, and pull on her ears, and she’s just so patient.”
What could have been a tragic tale turned into a heartwarming story of second chances. Hope gained a family, and the kits gained the mother figure they desperately needed.
Months later, when the youngsters were grown and strong, the time came to return them to the wild.
Jane released them together, giving them the best chance to thrive as a bonded group. As their carrier doors opened, Hope and her adopted kits ran free into the forest – healthy, whole, and loved.
Hope’s story is proof that love doesn’t just heal – it transforms.
She went from a lonely, injured fox to a devoted mother, and thanks to Jane’s compassion, she and her little family were given the happy ending they deserved.
