PROFESSIONAL dogwalker Louise Maunder has taken on the unusual task -- of hand-rearing a fox.

And while she is used to caring for animals, a 14-week-old fox cub is rather different from her normal canine challenge.

The fox, which she has named Teazel, has already become a member of the family, alongside Louise's pet cat, and four dogs. The cub was found abandoned by its mother a few weeks ago on a nature trail in Outwood.

A jogger picked up the animal, mistaking it for a kitten, and took it to a local shop in Outwood, near to where Louise lives.

The owners thought that Teazel was a puppy and planned to keep him, and contacted Louise and her fiance, Stephen Allen, to ask them what to do.

Louise (38) said: "When I got there I soon realised it wasn't a kitten or a puppy but a fox. I took it home with me and Stephen and I decided to take care of it.

"We got some baby animal formula milk and a tiny feeding bottle and hand-reared the fox for two weeks.

"He was too young to be put back in the wild and he was very hungry."

But since then, one of her dogs Leah, a cross boxer/setter, has taken over and now looks after Teazel as one of her own pups.

The cub, who has now been weaned, eats dog food with the family pets, and Leah makes sure Teazel is cleaned up when he has finished.

The fox is also house trained and when the dogs are racing around and playing in the back garden, Teazel joins in the fun.

Louise said: "For the first few weeks, I used to take Teazel up to bed and he slept on our floor in a basket. I thought if he slept with the dogs they might squash him in the night by lying on him or sitting on him. But now he beds down with the dogs."