In Virginia, the land of Jefferson, respectable and upright citizens are fighting to preserve their right to hoard wild animals into a fenced enclosure and then enjoy the sight of dogs tearing them apart.

The fox is a clever beast, famously outsmarting human and animal rivals in ancient fables, recent movies and a current Top 10 song. Humanity's relationship with the fox has long been balanced between bemused tolerance and "let's shoot them for fun and raise them in cages, for fur." But there are abundant signs that…