Declan Donnelly, the 49-year-old co-host of ITV’s I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! whose infectious charm has entertained 10 million viewers annually for two decades, experienced a heart-stopping crisis on October 28, 2025, when his cherished 5-year-old dachshund Rocky was savagely mauled by a “grumpy fox” in their London garden, triggering a frantic midnight dash to world-renowned veterinary surgeon Noel Fitzpatrick’s clinic. “It was a blood-curdling scream!” Donnelly recounted in a tearful Instagram Live that amassed 3.5 million views within hours, his voice trembling as he described the “miracle” that saved his “little fighter’s” life, a story that has sparked 2.9 million #SaveRocky posts and renewed calls for urban fox management in the UK.

The attack unfolded around 11:45 p.m., as Donnelly and wife Ali Astall, 42, prepared for bed in their Chiswick home. Rocky, a miniature smooth-haired dachshund known for his playful antics in Donnelly’s family photos, slipped into the garden for a quick potty break when a fox—emboldened by autumn scavenging—pounced from the shadows. “I heard this unearthly shriek — like nothing I’ve ever heard,” Donnelly said, rushing outside to find Rocky pinned, the fox’s jaws clamped on his neck in a vicious maul that left the pup with deep lacerations, a punctured lung, and severe blood loss. “He was limp in my arms, barely breathing. I thought I’d lost him forever,” Donnelly confessed, tears streaming as he cradled the dog during the 20-minute drive to Fitzpatrick’s clinic in Eashing, Surrey.

Fitzpatrick, the Channel 4 Supervet star whose innovative surgeries have saved thousands of animals since 2014, assembled an emergency team for a 4-hour operation under the glare of operating room lights. “Rocky’s a fighter — we stabilized the lung, repaired the vessels, and transfused him with donor blood from our bank,” Fitzpatrick told The Sun, praising Donnelly’s quick thinking. “Without that rush, it would have been fatal.” Rocky, stabilized by dawn, spent a week in recovery, emerging with a cone collar and a small scar that Donnelly calls “his badge of bravery.”

The incident highlights the growing urban fox threat in London, where 10,000 attacks on pets occurred in 2025 (RSPCA stats), often linked to food shortages and habitat loss. “These creatures are bold now — we need better waste management,” Donnelly urged, pledging £50,000 to fox awareness campaigns. Fans rallied with donations topping £120,000 for Fitzpatrick’s wildlife fund.

Donnelly, father to Isla, 6, and Jack, 4, with Astall, shared the ordeal to raise awareness: “Rocky’s my shadow — this could happen to any family.” Astall added, “Dec’s a rock; he held us together.” As Rocky bounds back, the story underscores resilience: from midnight maul to morning miracle, proving love’s bite is stronger than any fox’s.