A fox had allegedly been locked inside a Sue Ryder store, in Pinner, for nearly a week.
Concerned members of the local community noticed that the charity shop had been closed during the week, and was left in a state of disarray with mannequins on the floor and boxes torn up.
It came to light on Saturday 9 August that a fox had entered the property the previous weekend, and had been locked inside since.
A member of the public stuck a notice on the window of the shop, which has since been taken down, that read:
“A fox has been trapped in here since Sunday.
“Sue Ryder was notified and has done nothing.
“The RSPCA was notified and refused to help.”
Moonstone Rescue, an animal welfare service based in Hertfordshire, shared on Facebook that they attempted to help the fox yesterday, but were allegedly refused access by shop management.
Harrow Online spoke to Moonstone Rescue, they revealed that an unknown man with keys allegedly entered the property Saturday evening and reportedly loaded the fox into a crate.
They said cases like this are a rarity, and letting the fox free without the appropriate welfare checks was “not a heroic act.”
Local residents posted food and water through the charity shop’s letter boxes, offering aid to the trapped animal.
A spokesperson from Sue Ryder said: “Sue Ryder has been working to encourage a fox to exit one of its shops that is temporarily closed for renovations, since we were made aware it had become trapped inside.
“We are pleased to share that the fox left the shop yesterday. Thank you to those members of the local community who brought the issue to our attention and offered their help and support.”
Moonstone Rescue stated that they will be making further contact with Sue Ryder’s management, as it remains unknown how the fox got it, why it was left for so long, and who took the fox away.
Amelia is a London-based freelance multimedia journalist currently writing for Harrow Online. She covers everything from local news to cultural features and brings a fresh, multimedia approach to storytelling. Her experience includes contributing to Time Out London and DirectHer Magazine, as well as working on the social media desk at The Telegraph, where she helped produce real-time news updates and creative short-form content for a national audience. Amelia has reported from Westminster, covering Prime Minister’s Questions from the press gallery, and has a strong interest in stories that centre around people, places, and community voices. At Harrow Online, she focuses on community stories, local events, and historical features.
