For New Jersey’s red foxes, sarcoptic mange is more than just a nuisance; it can be a death sentence.

“They need that fur to keep them warm, or protect them from getting sunburnt,” said Luke Ogden, founder of An Itch In Time – Mangy Fox Rescue. “They need their fur to protect them from getting in tangles with other creatures…”

Ogden’s nonprofit oversees 16 traps across Camden, Burlington and Gloucester counties, strategically deployed in areas where foxes are known to be suffering from mange, a skin affliction that can lead to death in four to six months. Ogden said he doesn’t rehabilitate the foxes — he’s not licensed to do that — but after trapping them, keeps them comfortable until state-licensed wildlife rehabilitation groups are ready to do their work.

Ogden is looking for a corporate sponsor, since he doesn’t take a salary and neither do the volunteers who assist him. Currently, An Itch In Time survives on donations and Ogden’s bank account.

“It’s rewarding when we bring them back from the rehabber and they look amazing and they’re healthy, and they get to go back to hopefully their family and their fox friends,” said volunteer Kathleen Cuneo.

Ogden said 63 foxes were successfully trapped last year, and 59 of them made a full recovery.