regulation of Captive Fox Welfare
Captive foxes in the UK are in urgent need of protection — and right now, your signature can make all the difference.
At Black Foxes UK, we’ve launched a formal petition calling on the UK Government to introduce sensible, specific regulations for the keeping of captive red foxes, such as silver foxes and rescued wild foxes. These animals are often misunderstood, mismanaged, and unprotected under current law — leaving them vulnerable to suffering, escape, or exploitation.
UK GOV - Regulate the Keeping and Breeding of both Native and Non-Native Foxes
Why This Matters
While native red foxes are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, their captive cousins — including colour morphs like silver, cross, and platinum foxes — fall into a legal grey area. These foxes are often bred and kept in the exotic pet trade without any licensing or minimum standards, and without oversight to ensure their welfare.
This lack of regulation is not only harmful to the foxes themselves, but it also creates serious issues for:
- Animal Welfare – No standards for housing, diet, enrichment, or veterinary care
- Public Safety – No required experience or education for owners
- Environmental Biosecurity – Escaped foxes may survive and breed in the wild
- Local Authorities and Rescues – Often left unsupported when foxes are found or surrendered
We've worked directly with dozens of cases and spoken with local councils, fox owners, and animal professionals. It’s clear: the system isn’t working. Now, we’re asking the Government to recognise this growing problem and act before more animals fall through the cracks.
Why Captive Foxes Need Regulation
Captive foxes in the UK — whether wild-born or non-native, domesticated types like silver foxes — currently fall through the cracks of existing legislation. This includes:
Non-native, North American red foxes, such as silver, cross and platinum morphs (collectively called "silver foxes" after the morph that initiated the trade), which are not formally recognised in law and therefore (this category also includes the Russian Scientifically Domesticated foxes, that people can also purchase and import legally):
- Often misidentified as a non-domesticated, native species and overlooked by wildlife authorities
- Classified inconsistently between regions or agencies, creating confusion and enforcement gaps
- Traded or rehomed with no licensing, welfare standards, or tracking requirements — leaving them at risk of suffering, exploitation, or escape
Wild European red foxes in rescue settings, which can be taken in by individuals or groups with no training or experience.
- Fox rescue work is currently unregulated, meaning anyone can set up a "rescue" without meeting basic standards for care, housing, or safety
- There are no inspections, no mandatory welfare protocols, and no system to ensure the physical, behavioural, and emotional needs of the animals are met
- Little awareness exists around disease risks like toxoplasmosis, which can cause abnormal tameness in wild foxes. Untrained rescuers may misread this as normal behaviour, increasing risks to both foxes and people.
This lack of regulation leaves vulnerable foxes — wild or captive-bred — in precarious and sometimes harmful situations. It also places unnecessary pressure on local authorities and responsible keepers, who often have no legal framework to rely on when cases go wrong.
Why a Blanket Ban is Harmful to Wild Foxes
While the desire to ban the keeping of foxes may come from a place of concern, the reality is far more complex. Both our native wild red fox and the captive-bred North American red fox — including colour morphs like silver foxes — are classed as the same species under law. A blanket ban could unintentionally restrict vital wildlife rescue efforts, especially for wild and feral foxes that may require temporary or even lifelong care in captivity. A ban could also result in the promotion of the need for fox control measures, without fox rescue.
History has shown that rushed decisions, such as the ban on fur farming, did little to prevent the welfare issues faced by these animals. It also left legal loopholes that allowed breeding and keeping to continue in unregulated ways — because of the complication of wild fox rescue and the fact that non-native domesticated foxes are in law, the same thing as the wild native fox. You cannot ban one without banning the other.
There is currently no regulation or oversight for wildlife or exotic pet rescues in the UK — meaning anyone can set up a “rescue” without any qualifications, inspections, or welfare standards. This affects not only captive-bred foxes, but also wild rescues. Unlike cats and dogs, foxes have no specific protection under the Animal Welfare Act once taken into captivity.
Instead of a ban, we’re calling for practical, compassionate regulation that sets minimum welfare standards and provides a framework to manage fox keeping responsibly. It’s a crucial first step — securing their minimum standards of care and welfare — and one we can build upon over time, to create a fairer, safer future for all foxes.
Let’s make meaningful change, not reactionary policy. Captive foxes can’t speak for themselves — but we can, and we must.
What We Are Asking For
We’re not trying to ban fox keeping — we’re simply asking for appropriate regulation, including:
- A zoo-style licensing framework for non-native foxes
- Minimum care and welfare standards for keeping the red fox in captivity
- Clear guidelines for local authorities, rescues, and law enforcement
- Proper record-keeping to track breeders, sellers, and owners
This isn’t just about policy — it’s about compassion, accountability, and making sure foxes like Wilf, Kit, and Margo, and so many others our community has stepped in to help, are never again left in unsafe, unsuitable, or neglectful conditions.
Learn more about the need for regulation and our petition, on our campaign page.
Community Driven Change
We may be a small organisation, but our impact is growing — and that’s thanks to people like Tessa, a dedicated volunteer who's been pouring her energy into creating informative content to support this campaign. Keep an eye out for her upcoming posts that break down the facts, bust myths, and explain exactly why this legislation is so necessary.
To all our members, followers, and supporters: thank you. Your support — whether it’s a share, a signature, or a kind word — helps us continue this fight for better protections and public understanding.
Let’s Raise Our Voices Together. Captive foxes cannot speak for themselves. But we can. You can.
Sign the UK Government Petition
Please sign the petition and share it with your networks.
If we reach 10,000 signatures, the Government will respond. At 100,000, it could be debated in Parliament. Every signature brings us closer to meaningful change.
Sign the petition: Regulate the Keeping and Breeding of both Native and Non-Native Foxes
Let’s make this the year captive foxes finally get the legal protection they deserve.
