GUILTY! Scotland terrierman convicted of interfering with badger sett
Hunting-related court convictions are becoming a very regular occurrence! This time, a Scottish terrierman has been found guilty at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court, Fife, for interfering with a badger sett. 51-year-old Dylan Boyle from the Berwickshire and Fife Hunts was convicted on 13 September, despite pleading not guilty to two charges of digging and blocking the […]
Ben Wallace hits out at top police officer in a desperate bid to save hunting
Fervent hunt supporter Ben Wallace, a former defence secretary in the Conservative government, has hit out at the policing of fox hunting. Now a hunting industry official, his bid to portray hunters as victims of ‘two-tiered’ policing reeks of desperation. Wallace, who is on the British Hound Sports Association (BHSA) board, has used right-leaning The […]
Sabs film criminal terriermen digging fox out of badger sett
A video, exposing the Axe Vale Harriers, was filmed by Devon County Hunt Saboteurs and Mendip Hunt Saboteurs on 13 March 2024. It shows terriermen digging out a badger sett to get to a fox, who has hidden underground from the hunt.
‘SMOKESCREEN SATURDAY’: the sham that is ‘national trail hunting day’
The hunting industry’s Big Day is approaching: the moment when it desperately tries to convince the Labour government that it isn’t breaking the law – despite 20 years of evidence showing otherwise. The National Trail Hunting Day – dubbed ‘Smokescreen Saturday’ by hunt saboteurs and monitors – will take place on 14 September. The British […]
GREAT NEWS! MOD not licencing hunts on its land for 2024/25 season
The Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) has announced that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has granted no trail hunting licences for the 2024/25 season. This will be crushing news to a hunting industry that is on its last legs. For those of us who have campaigned for years – members of the public, hunt saboteurs and […]
Violent terrierman convicted after police find dead otter in his freezer
A notorious hunter received a pitiful sentence on 2 September after he was found guilty under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Police raided Darren Fisher’s house on 26 February and found a dead otter in his freezer, as well as dead foxes in his garage. According to the BBC, the man is now a gamekeeper. […]
GUILTY! Another hunt supporter convicted of assault after twice punching saboteur
Marc Birney, a supporter of the Pytchley with Woodland Hunt, has been convicted of assault by beating after he attacked a North London Hunt Saboteur. The sabs reported: “Hunt supporter Birney, who was banned from driving after being convicted of drug driving in August 2023, launched the cowardly attack on our member as we disrupted […]
SHOCKING: Renowned Rewilding Knepp Estate hosts notorious hunt
The Knepp Wildland Estate describes itself as “a leading light in the conservation movement”, as “trailblazing”, and “rewilding pioneers”. Run by estate owner Charlie Burrell and his wife Isabella Tree, Knepp’s 3,500-acre rewilding project is impressive, with many declining species like Turtle Dove, White Admiral, and Nightingale all now thriving. A sighting in Cornwall this […]
CHARLES CARTER: Police issue notorious hunter second Community Resolution Order
Wiltshire Police has issued Charles Carter, huntsman for the Royal Artillery Hunt (RAH), with a Community Resolution Order (CRO). The CRO is his second in 18 months, and was given to him after he assaulted a female hunt saboteur. The incident took place in February 2024. Salisbury Plain Hunt Saboteurs gave a detailed account of […]
SURVEY: Just 18% of public believe trail hunting is NOT a smokescreen
A new survey taken earlier this month has revealed that only 18% of the public believes that trail hunting is NOT a smokescreen to get around the ban on hunting wild animals with dogs. The majority of the public also believes there must be stronger legislation to protect wildlife. The poll, carried out by Survation […]
A stag swims for his life before being brutally killed by hunters
The Labour government needs to urgently act and ban hunting after more footage has revealed a hunt killing a stag. The deer was chased for more than four hours before desperately swimming for his life. He was then brutally killed. North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs were joined by Mendip Hunt Sabs as they tried to prevent […]
Hunt terrierman guilty of assault after spraying monitor in face with citronella
On 19 August, a terrierman from the Tynedale Hunt was convicted of assault with battery after he sprayed a hunt monitor in the face with citronella. Northumberland Hunt Watch was monitoring the hunt on 5 February 2024 when the attack happened. The group explained the incident: “Judy and another volunteer were monitoring Tynedale Hunt. Judy […]
Albrighton & Woodland Hunt issued with Community Protection Warning
Another hunt has been issued a Community Protection Warning (CPW). Staffordshire Hunt Saboteurs have announced that the Albrighton & Woodland Hunt is the latest pack to have been given the slap on the wrist by police. The sabs announced: “This comes as a result of their antisocial behaviour including, trespass, lack of hound control, killing […]
Blackmore & Sparkford Vale ‘rent-a-thug’ issued with Criminal Behaviour Order
Dorset Police Rural Crime Team has issued a Blackmore and Sparkford Vale supporter with a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO). Shane Cooper pleaded guilty to assault and theft following an incident on 26 September 2023. He attacked hunt saboteurs and stole their equipment. The CBO replaced the more commonly-known ASBO back in 2014. You can read […]
GUILTY AGAIN! Criminal hunter Ollie Finnegan convicted once more
Fox hunter Ollie Finnegan is setting records for hunting convictions. He stood trial yet again this week, having been granted a retrial after being convicted of illegal hunting in 2023. Much to Finnegan’s dismay, he was found guilty yet again! Protect the Wild previously reported on how Finnegan was found guilty of illegal hunting three […]
GUILTY! Weston and Banwell Hunt terriermen convicted of assault
The 2024/25 hunting season is just about getting underway, with hunts terrorising fox cubs around the country right now. But there’s good news: yet more hunters have been found guilty in court. Somerset Sabs wrote of the court case: “The shovel-wielding Weston and Banwell terriermen. Ian Dinham and Brian (Anthony) Pearce finally had their day […]
RSPCA’s shocking figures reveal extent of weapon attacks on animals
Hunting, shooting, culling, baiting, lamping, coursing: the UK’s wild animals are targeted by humans using many different cruel methods. And now the RSPCA has revealed that a variety of lethal weapons are being used to kill animals at alarming rates. Between 2020 and 2023, the charity stated that it received 896 reports relating to animals […]
The season when hunts tear up fox cubs has already begun
Cubbing season has begun. Cubbing is where hunts train their hounds to chase and kill using inexperienced young fox cubs as practice, giving the dogs a taste for blood. Hunt saboteurs and monitors are already on the ground, trying to stop the horrific act. We spoke to Shropshire Wildlife Monitors, who caught the United Pack […]
GUILTY: Ex-South Dorset huntsman convicted of racially/religiously aggravated harassment
On 24 July yet another hunter was convicted in court. Ex-South Dorset huntsman Josh Tierney was found guilty after harassing a hunt saboteur. Weymouth Animal Rights wrote: “Josh Tierney was found guilty of causing racially/religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress following a homophobic and xenophobic incident against one of our sabs.” The South Dorset […]
Hunting industry claims to be minority ethnic group and protection under Equality Act
Hunters came together recently for a conference in Wiltshire to discuss how to save hunting. Their plan of action? To claim that hunters are a minority ethnic group, and as such need to be protected under the Equality Act 2010. The event was organised by lobby group Hunting Kind, which aims to influence politicians and […]
GREAT NEWS! Guernsey bans lamping, snares and glue traps
In very welcome news, Guernsey has agreed to ban snares and glue traps as well as the disgusting bloodsport of lamping. On 18 July, the States of Guernsey, which is a self-governing dependency of the UK, voted through seven animal welfare proposals. The news comes as over the water the Labour government is under pressure […]
Unreal: Fox-killing Rees-Moggs to star in reality TV show
Discovery+ has announced that it has made a five-part series about stuffy former Tory MP Rees-Mogg, his wife Helena and their six children. It will, unfortunately, air later this year, and you can bet that ratings will be low – a pattern established by Rees-Mogg’s ‘work’ as a condescending anchor on GB News, a heavily […]
‘Family-friendly’ Somerset business breeding and selling foxes as exotic pets
A popular Somerset business has been breeding foxes to be kept as exotic pets. Take action: boycott the business and sign the petition, calling for the new Labour government to urgently review and reform legislation. A member of Two Counties Hunt Saboteurs discovered that a fox breeder in Somerset has been advertising foxes to sell […]
GOOD NEWS: Celebration as Eryri Hunt folds
On 15 July, pro-hunting organisation Hunting Kind announced that Wales’ Eryri Hunt is disbanding. The Eryri hunted on foot in Eryri (Snowdonia), northwest Wales. In response to the news, Cheshire Borderland Monitors celebrated, saying: “ANOTHER ONE GONE! Cheshire Borderland Monitors are particularly pleased about the Eryri hunt disbanding, because in the past we have spent […]
GUILTY: Wynnstay Hunt security guard convicted of racial abuse
A security guard working for the notorious Wynnstay Hunt pleaded guilty in court on 15 July. He was charged after racially abusing a hunt saboteur, which is a hate crime. Anthony Williams was one of the Wynnstay’s hired thugs on 6 January 2024. Cheshire Hunt Saboteurs reported that Williams acted like the Incredible Hulk. He […]
Good news! Another hunt folds just days after Labour takes power
Fantastic news is coming in before the 2024/25 hunting ‘season’ even starts: the Monmouthshire and Valley Beagles (M&VB), which used to hunt hares, has disbanded. The M&VB itself was formed from the amalgamation of two separate beagle packs in 2015, the Merthyr Tydfil-based Valley Beagles and the Monmouthshire Beagles. The hunt chased and killed Brown […]
Adorable videos of badgers YOU helped save
Last year, Protect the Wild readers helped an East Sussex community to save badgers whose home was at threat from property developers. We’ve revisited the residents to see how the badgers are doing. And it’s great news: they are thriving! For four and a half years, the community was trying to buy a plot – […]
Rescuers save foxes trapped by wildlife killer
On 7 July, animal welfare volunteers rushed to Moreton on the Wirral in an attempt to save two foxes from a wildlife killer. Locals alerted Manchester Hunt Saboteurs, who were joined by both Wirral Fox Rescue and the British Divers Marine Life Rescue. A man, who is known in the area for terrorising mammals and […]
Hunting industry cries crocodile tears for its hounds
Doomsday for hunting with dogs could well be approaching. If Labour gets into power, it has pledged to strengthen the hunting ban, closing loopholes that were deliberately included in Tony Blair’s Hunting Act 2004. So it’s no surprise that the hunting industry is trying to pull at the public’s heartstrings when it cries crocodile tears […]
New Defence Secretary must ban hunting on MOD land
John Healey is Labour’s new Secretary of State for Defence. Healey is anti-hunting, so Protect the Wild has high hopes that he will take urgent action to ban hunting on Ministry of Defence (MOD) land. Join us in our campaign to make this happen. Most major landowners, such as the National Trust, have already banned […]
Labour must end fox hunting for good
On 5 July Labour formed a new government after winning the General Election with a huge majority. The party has pledged to strengthen the Hunting Act 2004, closing the trail hunting loophole. Protect the Wild argues that they can go a huge step further. This article explains how. The hunting industry is on its last […]
Cautious optimism: What a new government could mean for wildlife
The Tories are out. Labour has won the election with a huge majority, taking almost 300 seats more than the Conservatives. What might this mean for wildlife? Protect the Wild outlines our hopes for the next government.
Labour: cull ‘ineffective’ but will continue anyway?
The Labour party has been vocal in its criticism of the badger cull, and previously pledged to end it if elected. Its manifesto stated that the party would “end the ineffective badger cull”. But is Labour going back on its promise? Shadow Defra Secretary Steve Reed spoke on BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today on Wednesday […]
Another badger dies after being caught in snare
Yet another badger has died after becoming trapped in a snare. This needless death is a reminder that whatever the result of the election on 4 July, the new government MUST make all snares illegal. The badger was found in a garden in Belper, Derbyshire, on 10 June, having struggled a short distance from where […]
Tory pro-fox hunting leaders and MPs
With the General Election just around the corner, it’s looking like the Tories’ time in power will be over very soon! But we mustn’t be complacent. In this article, we remind our readers how this pro-hunting party has waged a war on foxes since it came back into power in 2010. Since taking over from […]
CONVICTED! Terrierman guilty after terrorising monitors on quad bike
Robert Cundy (pictured above), terrierman for the Essex and Suffolk Hunt, pleaded guilty on 14 June to breaking a Community Protection Notice (CPN). A CPN can be issued by a court as punishment for persistent antisocial behaviour. Suffolk Action for Wildlife (SAF) consistently monitors the hunt. Protect the Wild chatted to SAF’s Anna about the […]
Hunting lobbyists desperately claims “we will not give up” as hunting ban looms
The British Hound Sports Association (BHSA), the hunting industry’s cheerleader and supposed regulatory body, has cried “WE WILL NOT GIVE UP” in a last desperate bid to save hunting. Labour is set to win the next election, and has stated in its manifesto that if elected it will ban trail hunting. It is common knowledge […]
Will our vote make a difference for wildlife? Yes.
The General Election will take place on 4 July. Over the years, the Tories have effectively declared war on Britain’s wildlife. But are the other parties any better? Protect the Wild takes a look at their manifestos, and whether they pledge to defend animals. The latest polls give Labour a clear lead, with the Conservatives […]
REVEALED: The Newt’s owners Emily Estate allows fox hunting on even more of its land
Protect the Wild’s campaign, urging luxury hotel business The Newt in Somerset to end its ties with fox hunting, has uncovered more links with the criminal Blackmore and Sparkford Vale (BSV) Hunt. The prestigious Hotel has allowed the BSV to meet on its grounds and has refused to confirm that it will ban the hunt […]
Rishi Sunak: it’s time to go!
Ahead of a worsening economic outlook and with his personal popularity at a historic low, on May 22nd Rishi Sunak decided ‘enough was enough’ and called a General Election. It was certainly about time. Even without his self-sabotaging gaffes this week – including of course his spectacular lack of respect for the thousands who died […]
GOOD NEWS! Men from Blackmore and Sparkford Vale charged with illegal hunting
Four men from the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt (BSV) – the very same hunt we have been asking The Newt in Somerset to ban from meeting on their land – have been charged under Section 1 of the Hunting Act 2004, accused of hunting a wild mammal with dogs. The news comes just months […]
Minks and Otters at risk as hunting season starts
Summer is the season for mink hunting in England and Wales. Less well-known than fox hunting, the illegal bloodsport is often used as a guise for hunting Otters. There are nine minkhound packs left in the UK, and saboteurs are on the ground to stop them in their tracks. Mother mink give birth to their […]
TAKE ACTION: Tell the Royal Horticultural Society to disassociate itself from fox hunting
The Chelsea Flower Show, organised by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), has come to an end for another year. The show’s four-year headline sponsor, luxury hotel business The Newt in Somerset, allows fox hunting meets on its land. You can take action by telling the RHS to cut its ties with the company, which is […]
The Newt’s estate manager and her connections to fox hunting
Luxury hotel business The Newt in Somerset – headline sponsor of the Chelsea Flower Show – has allowed the criminal Blackmore and Sparkford Vale (BSV) Hunt to meet on its grounds. Despite a campaign of more than 12,000 people urging The Newt to ban the hunt, the business still hasn’t cut ties with the notorious […]
Prominent gardeners speak out against Chelsea Flower Show’s association with fox hunting
The 2024 Chelsea Flower Show is well under way. Attendees have been alarmed to discover that the show’s headline sponsor, luxury hotel business The Newt, supports illegal hunting. Now some of the country’s most famous gardeners have spoken out about the event’s ongoing relationship with the hotel. Protect the Wild, along with our friends at […]
Another hunter sentenced for animal cruelty, but escapes prison
Greg Baker, former huntsman of the Llandeilo Farmers Hunt, has been found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to animals. Five horses and one hound suffered from severe abuse under his care. The Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) and South Wales Hunt Saboteurs stated that the RSPCA had raided Baker’s property, and found that the horses were: […]
SIGN THE PETITION: Drop The Newt from the Chelsea Flower Show
The world famous Chelsea Flower Show, organised by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), is running between 21 and 25 May. Its headline sponsor is luxury hotel The Newt – a business that supports hunting. Protect the Wild is asking our readers to sign a petition, calling on the RHS to cut its association with the […]
Animal abuser King Charles becomes new patron of the RSPCA
The RSPCA is “immensely honoured” that King Charles has become its new patron. Protect the Wild argues that this man, who abuses animals, should never have such a role in an animal welfare charity. This article explores Charles’ bloodlust for killing mammals and birds, and details how his vast estates are shooting playgrounds. The RSPCA […]
No police action after hunting hounds were killed on busy road
Northamptonshire Police has stated that it will not prosecute members of the Pytchley with Woodland Hunt, even though three of its hounds were killed on the busy A43. The incident took place on 19 February between Broughton and Sywell. Northants Hunt Saboteurs wrote of the police’s decision: “We are extremely disappointed to see that Northants […]
The Gentleman’s Vinnie Jones: it’s all an act for this keen shooter
Netflix’s The Gentlemen is currently ranking in the streaming service’s Top 10 most-watched TV shows. Footballer-turned-actor Vinnie Jones has a starring role as an animal-loving gamekeeper of a wealthy 15,000 acre estate. But in real life, Jones is infamous for killing wildlife. Crows, pigeons, rabbits, foxes, boar: you name them, Jones has shot them all. And he’s bragged about it too.
Labour PCC victories give some hope to wildlife
Labour has made significant gains in the 2024 England and Wales Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections. This could be very positive news for animals – because PCCs have significant influence over whether wildlife crime is taken seriously by local police forces. Labour gained 9 new seats, while Conservative lost 11. A PCC’s role is […]
TAKE ACTION: Tell the ‘World’s Best Boutique Hotel’ to disassociate itself from fox hunting
Yesterday we launched a petition to demand that The Newt in Somerset hotel stop hosting the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt. Over 5000 people have already signed. In the following post we give more details about why the petition was launched and why it is so important. The Newt must disassociate from fox hunting Hunts […]
