LEWISTON – A rabid fox was shot by an animal control officer Thursday afternoon as the creature chased a teenager up the street near Stetson Brook Estates.

The gray fox attacked three people, two house pets and an animal control officer before it was shot. Animal experts said Friday the rampaging animal proved to be infected with rabies.

The attacks began on Wednesday when the fox bit a man and mauled a cat on Pineview Road. A day later, the animal was terrorizing people on nearby streets.

Lynn Busch heard a commotion inside her garage as she drove up to her Stetson Road home Thursday.

“It sounded like 18 dogs fighting,” Busch said. “I opened the door and the fox had my dog up against the wall. It was trying to bite her legs.”

The dog, a golden retriever named Reese, got away from the fox. Busch also got out of harm’s way after the fox ran in her direction.

A cat down the road was not so lucky.

“The fox actually had the cat in its mouth,” said Animal Control Officer Wendell Strout.

Strout and Animal Damage Control Agent Richard Burton began to investigate the attacks. With a man, a woman, a dog and a cat already approached by the animal, they set out to find and kill the fox.

On Thursday, Strout and Burton went to Stetson Road to search for the animal. At about 4 p.m., they saw a teenage boy running up the street with a basketball.

“We saw this kid coming up the road with what looked like a dog maybe 6 or 8 feet behind him,” Strout said.

What looked like a dog was in fact a fox.

“We yelled to the kid, “Get away! Get away from that fox!” Burton said. “As soon as the fox heard our voices, it came at us.”

Burton was waiting with a .22 pistol.

“The fox went right after Richard,” Strout said. “It would have bitten him, no doubt about it. But he was able to fire and put the animal down.”

The fox fell dead at Burton’s feet. The carcass was taken to a laboratory in Augusta. On Friday, the results were in: The gray fox was rabid. It may not be the first.

A week ago, a woman on Grove Street reported a fox chased her across her yard and into her house. The woman escaped into her kitchen, but the animal wedged its head in the door and remained there. Finally, family members killed the animal with a club.

That fox was not tested because no one was bitten.

Around Stetson Road, the cat that was bitten was euthanized. Reese, the golden retriever, was placed under a 45-day quarantine. A man bitten on Pineview Road refused treatment, even though he sustained injuries from the attacking fox.

“In talking with several people recently,” Burton said, “it would seem that most people have no idea what to look for or look out for and what can happen if they are bitten by a rabid animal and fail to seek treatment.”

Strout likewise cautioned people to be mindful of strange-acting animals now that spring has arrived. The rabid fox on Stetson Road may prove to be a fluke. Or, it could mark the start of a trend.

“With all the animals coming out of hibernation, I don’t know if this is a sign of things to come,” Strout said. “It’s too soon to say.”