We should never bring back hunting with dogs – and here's why
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Loading... - Suth Inthuvarman
- 05 Jun 2020
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Debate is currently raging about whether hunting with dogs should be made legal once again. How depressing, says Chris Pitt of the League Against Cruel Sports.
Pro-hunt supporters will claim that hunting is a form of wildlife management, and that the activity is ‘non-wounding‘.
That sounds okay, right? Here’s the reality:
Foxes are ripped apart by hounds, often while still alive.
‘Cub’ hunting involves areas of woodland being surrounded by hunt members who prevent young foxes from escaping when the hounds are sent in.
Deer are chased to an exhausted standstill.
Hares are forced to take part in the ‘sport’ of hare coursing, in which two dogs race to catch it, before ripping it apart, often in a gruesome tug of war.
Some try to claim that this kind of activity is somehow ‘natural’. It’s not.
This is one tradition we should consign to the history books (Picture: Getty)
When foxes are chased, they will bolt down holes to escape; as part of a fox hunt, the holes will be surrounded before terrier dogs are sent down to trap and/or fight with the fox.
This leads to horrific injuries and potentially death for both animals.
That’s the reality, and that’s why 80% of people in this country want hunting to remain illegal.
That includes 78% of people in rural areas, dispelling the myth that only townie ‘know-nothings’ are anti-hunting.
Most people are opposed to hunting (Picture: Getty)
The wildlife management argument is also flawed. If you want to stop foxes – in town or country – the best methods are humane deterrents and a good fence.
Another point here is that the reputation of foxes as ‘vermin’ is based on prejudice, not fact.
Their impact on the farming industry is nowhere near as negative as is made out – in fact many farms benefit from the presence of foxes which kill rabbits, which in turn do a lot of crop damage.
Less than 1% of annual lamb losses can be directly attributed to foxes.
The sport can mean injuries and death for dogs as well as the hunted animals (Picture: Getty)
Arguments that the Hunting Act has failed, or hasn’t helped animal welfare, are nothing but bluff – there have been over 400 successful prosecutions under the Act.
At the League Against Cruel Sports we believe it could be strengthened a bit to stop people from jumping through loopholes, but basically it’s a vital and successful piece of legislation.
Hunting with hounds is not pest control, nor ‘wildlife management’.
It’s not a class issue, nor a town-vs-country argument.
It’s nothing but a cruel sport that was consigned to the history books, and we believe that there will be enough MPs who will vote to make sure it stays there.
