The blind fox that lives in Nuneaton with deer and dog

It's exhausting being a fox when you think you're a dog

A blind fox rescued from the side of a road has formed an unlikely indoors friendship with a dog and a deer.

The animal, named Woody, had more than 150 ticks when he was brought as a cub to Geoff Grewcock, who runs Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary.

But despite a bleak prognosis, Woody recovered to take meals with greyhound Orla and "hang out" with deer, Bramble.

"He is an outstanding fox - and he thinks he's a dog," Mr Grewcock said.

Woody was brought to the sanctuary after a passing motorist spotted him in March, Mr Grewcock explained.

'Doe! I told you this wasn't where they kept the food' - Woody the fox and his very deer friend

"We think his parents just abandoned him, they maybe knew something was up with him and left him."

Woody was gravely ill, said Mr Grewcock who stayed up at night to feed him every two hours, but the cub "pulled through" and was now adapting to life as a "house fox".

Mr Grewcock, who looks after more than 80 animals, says he has removed obstructions in his home to allow Woody to become accustomed to his surroundings.

There the fox has become acquainted with Bramble, a deer Mr Grewcock lets roam around, and pet greyhound Orla.

The fox and the hound

"The vet said he is about 90% blind," Mr Grewcock said. "So we've had to treat him just like a blind person and because of his sight, we can't release him, but he's very happy as a house fox and being with Orla and Bramble."

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He said when Woody and Orla go out for walks, people ask what breed of dog he is.

"I've seen cars go past us and then put on their brakes as they think 'what's all that about'?

"He really turns heads. He's beautiful, and does like custard cream biscuits we've discovered."

Geoff Grewcock says Woody is an 'outstanding' fox

Mr Grewcock turned his Nuneaton garden into a wildlife sanctuary after he retired as a security guard in 2001 and since then, he and his family and supporters have helped 62,000 animals, using his pension to fund a lot of the costs.

He has recently started a fundraising campaign amid financial pressures at the sanctuary following the pandemic.