On his deathbed, an 85-year-old had one unusual wish — to pet a rescue fox

Colin Emmett has always had a soft spot for foxes. The 85-year-old Bradford resident, who has vascular dementia and is now receiving end-of-life care at Bingley Park care home, has collected fox ornaments for years and was even nicknamed "Fox" by his family, as per the BBC. So when staff asked if there was anything he wished for, his answer was simple — he wanted to see one. Within days, the care home arranged for a rescued red fox to visit him at his bedside.

The request came up during a conversation with a care assistant after Colin mentioned he kept seeing squirrels but never foxes. "She said, 'Oh, is that your last wish, Colin?' And he said 'yes'," his daughter Sharon Dalby shared. Dalby explained that her father’s connection to foxes goes back decades. "His nickname is Fox. He's got ornaments, he's got a cup that says 'Hey Foxy', so yeah, he loves them," she said. Staff contacted Fox Angels Foundation to see whether it might be possible for Colin to at least view a fox through a window. Instead, trustee Les Hemstock traveled from Nottinghamshire with Ben, a seven-year-old rescue fox he has cared for since 2019.

The foundation later wrote on Facebook, "It was a very emotional moment for all involved, and Ben the fox was just wonderful. Ben and I were made very welcome, and, being on his usual best behaviour, Ben allowed Colin to stroke him as we sat by Colin's bedside." Ben was brought into Colin’s room. "This was such a beautiful moment. The visit had the most incredible impact on him — he can't remember what he had for tea or lunch after half an hour, but he still remembers Ben from two weeks ago — it's lovely," Dalby told the Telegraph & Argus. She also added, "He stayed awake for the whole visit, and usually he's dozing off all the time. Foxes are just his animal — he's always been really into them."

Hemstock, who has raised several rescued foxes over the years, said watching the interaction was moving. "He stroked Ben's face, and the pair just looked into each other's eyes, transfixed." Hemstock has also been clear that foxes are not suitable pets. Speaking to reporters, he said, "Foxes do not make good pets. They are not malicious but will destroy home furnishings for fun and have a very pungent scent. They prefer to be in the wild and should be wherever possible." Even Wildlife organizations such as the RSPCA note that foxes are wild animals that retain natural behaviors like scent marking, digging, and high energy levels, making them unsuitable as household pets. Even selectively bred foxes still exhibit many instinctive traits associated with life in the wild.

Martin Deakin, manager at Bingley Park care home, told the BBC that supporting Colin’s request was never in question. "Nothing is ever too much trouble here, and staff have the freedom to be innovative," he said. "We will always support ideas like this, which are meaningful and memorable for our residents," Sharon said.

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