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End Hound Hunts In The UK For Good!
Final signature count: 24,647
24,647 signatures toward our 30,000 goal
Sponsor: The Animal Rescue Site
No animal should be chased to exhaustion and ripped to pieces for sport!
Tell the Minister of the Department for Environment, Food, & Rural Affairs to ban hound hunts in the U.K. and to close all loopholes to the law. The hunts are reckless and dangerous for both animals and local residents. The brutal killing of an animal is not entertainment or sport!
Every year there are countless “accidents” that occur during hound hunts. A pack of hounds, ranging in numbers from 40-60 dogs, are released to chase a single fox. Once the hounds are on the scent of the fox, it is nearly impossible to call them off. While the hunters see the chase as a form of entertainment, wild animals are being brutally torn apart after being caught by the hounds. [1]
Although fox hunting has been banned in England and Wales since 2004, many hunters still illegally partake. The hunters use a loophole by calling these hound hunts “trail hunting,” with the hounds following a scent trail, even though foxes are still being chased and killed. Still, the hunt doesn’t usually stick to a particular trail.
Foxes aren’t the only casualties; hound hunts often lead to the destruction of other vegetation and wildlife. Just this year, the animal sanctuary Celia Hammond Animal Trust — home to 130 rescue animals in varying stages of health — was victim to a hunt. A pack of hounds invaded and ran through the sanctuary, scaring the animals, and sending many fleeing into the woods. Many animals remained missing after the hounds attacked, with staff and volunteers fearing the missing animals had been killed. [2]
The list of victims goes beyond plants and animals. People who live in areas where hunts take place often feel trapped, as they are subjected to threats from hunters if they speak out against the hunts. Many residents attest that these hunts can have a large influence on their lives, and they feel they must accept these hunting practices to avoid such threats and intimidation. [3]
Help put an end to the cruel practices of hound hunting. Sign now and call for an explicit ban of hunting with hounds. Demand that the 2004 Hunting Act is updated with stronger restrictions that are appropriately enforced.
