Pumpkin, the rescue fox who was the inspiration for Pumpkin’s Wildlife Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre in Rickmansworth, has sadly passed away.
The hospital’s founder and head vet Ana Lapaz-Mendez announced the news on Facebook, and received a flood of support from the community.
Pumpkin was a female red fox who was hit by a car and badly injured. However, she was not taken to a vet immediately as her rescuer feared she might be euthanised. This delay in treatment left her with severe disabilities which made a release to the wild impossible.
Ana, who had saved Pumpkin’s life, promised her that she would do everything in her power to prevent something like this from happening again.
Pumpkin had suffered from toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection, since she was rescued and her condition worsened late last December. Ana made the difficult decision to put Pumpkin to sleep on Wednesday, January 22.
Ana said: “Pumpkin, without knowing it, was the catalyst for something extraordinary. She has consequently saved the lives of so many animals and will continue to do so long after her passing. Pumpkin’s Wildlife Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre is her legacy.
“Rest in peace, my beautiful girl. You will be missed, and we forever love you.
“The work must go on. With almost 1,000 injured wild animals coming through our doors in our first year, it is clear that the survival and success of our charity is essential for our wildlife.”
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