A dog named Thunder rumbled, and then lunged for a fox that had wandered too close.

When it was over Saturday afternoon, Suffolk, Virginia police believe, the adopted Shar-Pei had killed the animal that had raised Hell in the neighborhood.

It started about 7:30 p.m. Friday in a mobile home park when a fox chased and bit a 7-year-old girl, city spokeswoman Debbie George said.

The girl was outside playing with friends in a small pool in the backyard when the fox ran up and attacked her, biting her shin twice, George said. The child’s mother heard her screaming and ran outside, but then the fox started to chase her and bit her pants leg.

The woman yelled to let out the family dog, which chased the fox away while she took shelter inside a vehicle, George said.

Two hours later, a fox bit a 13-year-old boy in the right thigh when he was standing outside with a friend. The boy tried to fight off the fox, but it continued to attack until a neighbor came to his aid.

Both children were treated and released from a medical facility, according to a news release.

Animal control responded and set traps, but it wasn’t until 1 p.m. the following day that a resident heard her dog, Thunder, barking in the front yard and then saw him carrying a dead fox in his mouth, George said. Both of his front legs were scratched.

Thunder was adopted from the city’s animal shelter in June 2010 when he was a year old, George said. All pets adopted from the shelter are vaccinated before leaving.

Typically, when a wild animal bites a human, a series of rabies shots is given to the victim, George said. The fox is being tested to see whether it had rabies, but those results won’t be available until later this week, she said.

George said she was not aware of any other wild animal attacks this year in the city.

Story By Elaine Furst For Dog Files