O.K., Rusty, is that better,
I didn't realize I was making it too complicated for you to follow.

I don't think shifting a problem onto someone else is a fair or
viable solution, and it's true that urban foxes would have a hard
time if dumped into the countryside.

Irresponsible pet owners are a nuisance. As I said earlier I've had
more than my fair share of 'Fido' chasing my sheep.

Point of interest, when I observed a fox passing through a field of
ewes with lambs, the ewes seemed unconcerned, but let a dog
into that field - utter panic.

In all fairness, I have to say that farmers from 'up north' tell me quite
a different story, so perhaps the northern foxes are more aggressive.

So, without everyone getting too shirty and worked up, I can only
repeat that if you choose to keep anything, for pet or production,
you are responsible for its welfare, and you have a duty to see that
it is properly fed, watered, and securely housed.

But that does not give you the excuse to exterminate every other
creature, just so you can save a few quid on suitable containment.

I'm sure that it's not beyond man to use his intelligence and find a
more rational solution.

It's true that foxes have few natural predators now. Perhaps if DEFRA
do reintroduce the wolf, the fox population might suffer a decline.
In the US they find that the wolf displaces the coyote, the coyote
displaces the fox. But will people in 20 years time be wanting to wipe
out the 'big bad wolf'.