Many animal lovers have pet dogs or cats. Some have snakes, or gerbils, or rabbits.
But you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in New Hampshire with a pet fox – and for good reason.
Keeping a fox as a pet is generally illegal. State laws limit which animals can be kept to protect both people and wildlife from harm, according to New Hampshire Fish and Game.
Although they resemble dogs and are part of the same biological family, Canidae, foxes have not been domesticated in the United States. And while it doesn’t happen often, foxes can attack humans “when they are rabid … or when they are captured and handled,” Humane World for Animals said.
Foxes are usually cautious around people, but feeding them can create future problems, according to wildlife officials.
Red foxes are common throughout New Hampshire, while gray foxes are found mostly in the southern portion of the state.
Is it legal to have a pet fox in New Hampshire?
No, it is not legal to have a pet fox in New Hampshire, according to New Hampshire Fish and Game. Both red and gray foxes are on the state’s list of controlled species.
Which mammals are legal to keep as pets in NH?
Domestic animals, including dogs, cats, horses, and cows, are allowed as pets in New Hampshire. And you can actually keep some wild animals without a permit, according to New Hampshire Fish and Game regulations.
Animals are designated controlled or non-controlled based on health, environmental, ecological, or welfare risks to the public or wildlife, per New Hampshire state regulations.
Other non-controlled mammals allowed as pets in New Hampshire:
Chinchillas, domesticated (Chinchilla spp.)Gerbils, domesticatedGuinea pigs, domesticatedHamsters, domesticated (Cricetus cricetus)Mice, domesticated (Mus musculus)Rats, domesticated (Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus)Ferrets, domesticated (Mustela putorius furo)Llamas (Lama glama)Alpaca (Lama pacos)Pot-belly pigs, domesticatedRabbits, domesticatedAfrican pygmy hedgehogSugar glider (Petaurus breviceps)Tenrec (Tenrec ecaudatus)Yak (Bos grunniens)Camel (Camelus spp.)Asian water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)Degaus (Octodon degus)Guanaco (Lama quanicoe)Bison (Bison bison, B. bonasus)
Can I apply for a permit for a pet fox in NH?
Even if you apply for a permit to keep a pet fox in New Hampshire, you probably won’t receive one if you’re a private citizen.
Only those classified as exhibitors can obtain a wildlife possession for a fox, and the executive director of New Hampshire Fish and Game reviews each application, according to the regulations. A permit to possess will not be issued if any significant risks to the animal or public are determined by the director.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times, Reporting by Bailey Allen
