Fox lover is informed to kick furry mates out of his dwelling after neighbour complained in regards to the noise and odor

The owner of a fox sanctuary has been ordered to get rid of his furry friends after a neighbour complained about the noise and smell caused by him housing the animals at his home.

Steve Mason, 68, who runs the Second Chance Fox Sanctuary in Baddesley, Hampshire, was issued a notice ordering him to remove the foxes from his home and to not keep the animals in future.

But the animal-lover has disputed claims of disruptive noise from the animals in his care, claiming that any sounds came from wild foxes nearby.

It is the second time Mr Mason has faced opposition in his bid to look after the species, as the sanctuary previously had to be relocated when its previous landowner asked them to leave its former base.

He occasionally brings foxes to his home when they require intensive round-the-clock care that cannot be provided at the sanctuary.

He is currently keeping two foxes named Henderson and Fenton at his property to ensure they get the treatment they need.

Mr Mason said Test Valley Borough Council issued the notice ahead of issuing a Community Protection Notice (CPN), following a complaint from a neighbour, who says the foxes were noisy and causing unpleasant smells.

The warning also states that he must not keep foxes at the property again.

Steve Mason, 68, who runs the Second Chance Fox Sanctuary in Baddesley, Hampshire, was issued a notice ordering him to remove the foxes from his home and to not keep the animals in future

The sanctuary is currently caring for eight foxes, and Mr Mason has taken two of them, who require intensive care, to his property

Mr Mason said: ‘It is so wrong for the council to be doing what they’re doing.

‘If they stop me bringing a fox into my property, I won’t be able to treat them at all. 

‘That would mean I’d have to find another rescue centre to take them to, and in many cases that just isn’t possible. The foxes would suffer because of it, and that’s not fair.’

Henderson suffers from an illness called toxoplasmosis, which Mr Mason likened to Alzheimer’s disease in humans.

He said Henderson needs daily bathing, antibiotics and close monitoring, which he says is ‘physically impossible’ to provide at the sanctuary.

Mr Mason said: ‘He spends most of the day in the house with me. He’s a very clean fox and incapable of making noise because of his condition.’

Mr Mason is also caring for a fox called Fenton, who was formerly kept as a pet by a man in London.

He said Fenton spent five years around humans and had never interacted with other foxes, meaning he now needs to be slowly and carefully acclimatised with the other animals in his care.

He added: ‘If the CPN order was successful then any future foxes from the sanctuary needing treatment would not be able to be treated here and would suffer greatly because of this.’

Mr Mason said both foxes are making steady progress and he plans to have them back in the sanctuary and out of his home within a fortnight.

He also disputed claims that his property exuded any smell or noise, insisting that the enclosures were cleaned every day.

He also said that Fenton was a very quiet animal.

The Second Chance Fox Sanctuary was first set up in 2023 but faced closure last year after Mr Mason was asked to relocate.

A petition was set up which received more than 2,000 signatures and a new location for the charity was ultimately found at Ampfield Riding Stables.

The sanctuary is currently caring for eight foxes in total, and has seven dedicated volunteers which assist with the day-to-day operations.