Ballston Spa mayor’s social post on fox prompts debate; wildlife rehabilitators and residents urge testing and clearer animal-control policy

Mayor Frank Rossi posted a public-safety advisory on his official Facebook page after several resident reports and a police response to a fox that officers shot after it allegedly charged a resident or an officer. The post warned residents to “assume the worst, get inside, and call the authorities,” language Rossi said he used to prioritize public safety.

The advisory and the mayor’s edits to it prompted public comment during the Village Board meeting, where residents and two licensed wildlife rehabilitators told trustees that the animal should have been tested for rabies before public statements suggested it might be rabid.

Why it matters: Trustees and the mayor said they released the warning to reduce the risk of human injuries while the precise cause of the animals’ behavior was unknown. Wildlife experts told trustees that untested animals should not be publicly labeled “rabid” and that testing and coordination with state agencies are the correct next steps to inform public health action.

At the meeting, Rossi said he issued the advisory at the…