Search underway in Lincolnshire for missing rhea, who was spooked by a hunt pack
A search is underway for a missing rhea, who ran away on Saturday 1 February after a hunt group’s hounds rode close to the perimeter of the field where the rhea was being kept in East Kirkham, Lincolnshire. Andrew Collington posted that the Hunt seriously spooked the rheas, sheep and dogs that were in the […]
Lake District hunts served with Community Protection Warnings
Cumbria Constabulary has sent Community Protection Warnings (CPWs) to two Cumbria hunts, after receiving complaints from the public. We asked Cumbria Constabulary about the contents of the CPWs. They told us that: The Community Protection Warning informed the [hunt] groups that we have received numerous reports regarding issues relating to them, including antisocial behaviour, noise […]
REVEALED: Police force releases long-hidden agreement with Warwickshire Hunt
Following months of pressure, Warwickshire Police has released the controversial protocol it entered into with the Warwickshire Hunt. So, what have we found out? Protect the Wild breaks it down. Warwickshire Hunt was given a Community Protection Notice (CPN) in 2022 over anti-social behaviour during hunting, namely “unreasonable and dangerous use of the roads”. CPNs […]
South Dorset Hunt: men stalk and harass lone woman
The South Dorset Hunt is known for its intimidation tactics to try to shake off hunt saboteurs. Its supporters reached a new low on 4 January when men harassed female sabs, and stalked one lone woman as she tried to get to her vehicle. The hunt spent the day chasing multiple foxes, with Weymouth Animal […]
The Eggesford Hunt begins 2025 with a killing spree
Devon’s Eggesford Hunt has begun 2025 in the most barbaric way, killing a fox and a deer at two separate meets. These murders should be a stark reminder to the government to prioritise its promise to ban hunting with dogs. Devon County Hunt Saboteurs reported the killing of the fox, which took place on 4 […]
Hunting hounds left freezing and stranded in local shop
A Northern Ireland hunt left a number of its hounds stranded in freezing cold temperatures at the weekend. The news comes just days before a public consultation on hunting with dogs closes. You can fill in the consultation survey here, even if you don’t live in Northern Ireland. The South Tyrone Foxhounds lost several hounds […]
Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt ends 2024 with four days of carnage
2024 came to an end with the country’s worst hunt causing untold suffering over a number of days. In this guest article, Dorset Hunt Monitors and North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs give an eyewitness report of the terrors they witnessed on the ground over this Christmas period. Even by the appalling standards of the Blackmore & […]
Ten reasons why 2024 was a great year for wildlife
It’s that time of year again when we remind ourselves that 2024 was, in many ways, a good year for wildlife! The Tories were ousted, and the hunting industry is terrified that its days are numbered. Here’s ten reasons why this year was a positive one. 1. The argument has been won! Trail hunting IS […]
BOXING DAY: Here’s how YOU can gather much needed evidence against hunts
While we’re not wishing the holidays away, it’s a fact that Boxing Day is just around the corner. Hunts all over the country will once again be parading in towns and villages, keen to gather much needed donations and support from the public. Action Against Foxhunting (AAF) has outlined how you can collect evidence against […]
Are Community Protection Warnings worth the paper they’re written on?
West Mercia Police has issued four hunts with Community Protection Warnings (CPWs). Protect the Wild takes a look at what this means, and whether it will protect wildlife where the Hunting Act has failed. On 9 December, Action Against Foxhunting (AAF) announced that the North Shropshire Hunt, South Shropshire Hunt, Wynnstay Hunt and the United […]
The next post office scandal? How flawed science justifies the slaughter of a “protected” species
Imagine this: for decades, an entire government policy causing mass death is founded on evidence that many scientists now say is deeply flawed. Like the infamous Post Office scandal, where innocent workers were blamed for crimes they didn’t commit, the badger cull hinges on a narrative that points the finger at badgers for spreading bovine […]
EYES IN THE SKY: Drones increasingly reveal illegal hunting
Drones have proved to be an essential piece of kit for hunt saboteurs and monitors, enabling them to keep a closer eye on hunts. It goes without saying that hunts themselves do not like this – and there has been an increase in attempts to vandalise or steal the drones and to target their operators. […]
HUNT VIOLENCE: Phone smashed into sab’s face
This week saw yet more hunt violence as a saboteur was smashed in the face with a mobile phone and then trodden on by a horse. North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs were sabbing the infamous Blackmore and Sparkford Vale (BSV) on 10 December when they were faced with intimidation. The group reported: “A sab filming from […]
Another hunt down! Scotland’s Liddesdale Foxhounds folds
As 2024 comes to a close, Glasgow Hunt Saboteurs announced some great news: the Liddesdale Foxhounds has folded! The sabs reported on the Hunt Saboteurs Association website: “Little is known about the elusive Liddesdale Foxhounds despite them being one of the oldest fox hunts in Scotland. However, we do know that the Hunting with Dogs […]
Hunt saboteur headbutted and tyres slashed
On 7 December, Sheffield Hunt Saboteurs braved Storm Darragh and faced violence of a more corporeal kind as they sabbed the Grove and Rufford Hunt. The sabs’ vehicle tyres were slashed the evening before, and one person was headbutted during the meet itself. The group reported: “Despite finding the tyres for one of our vehicles […]
Warwickshire Hunt member hospitalises hunt sab
A member of West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs was taken to hospital on Saturday 30 November after a Warwickshire Hunt rider deliberately rode his horse at her. The sabs posted a video of the incident on Facebook, showing the hunt galloping through a field. They reported: “The rider can be seen riding his horse at speed […]
After an ‘autumn of suffering’ for stags, hinds now face a winter of suffering
England’s remaining staghound packs, which operate in the southwest of the country, typically hunt mature stags between August and October before moving on to targeting hinds (female deer). This year, saboteur groups have reported that packs like the Quantock Staghounds began targeting hinds in November. However, they continued to hunt stags too. This means that […]
Hunt sabs ask ‘What do the Kent Hounds have to hide?’
That time of year is coming up yet again, when hunts all over the country are gearing up for the annual PR stunt that is the Boxing Day meet. But East Kent Sabs has pointed out that one hunt seemingly has a lot to hide this Christmas. Kent Hounds is advising its riders not to […]
Beaufort Hunt issued with Community Resolution
Wiltshire Police has issued the Beaufort Hunt with a Community Resolution due to out of control hounds, just weeks after the Heythrop Hunt received a Community Resolution for the exact same issue. According to Wiltshire Hunt Saboteurs, Beaufort staff are required to attend “awareness training” as part of the resolution – quite a come down […]
South Thames Hunt Sabs: sabbing the notorious Kent Hunt
Towards the end of September this year we were approached by a ‘new’ sab group: South Thames Hunt Sabs. Operating in the South of England and beyond, the group is ‘newly-formed’ but is (they told us) made up of a “team of dedicated individuals who collectively share a mixed skillset and an abundance of experience […]
Hunting: new low as fox killed on school grounds
On Tuesday 26 November, Grafton Hunt hounds allegedly killed a fox on school grounds while pupils were in lessons. The hounds were spotted by witnesses as they chased the fox across a playing field of Stowe School in Buckinghamshire. The pack then killed the poor animal in an outbuilding on the premises. Grafton Hunt Watch, […]
Colin Tizzard: Famous racehorse trainer funding hare hunt
The latest hare hunting pack to emerge in the UK is the Dorset and Somerset Bassets. This hunt, which routinely breaks the law as it terrorises hares, is owned by famous racehorse trainer Colin Tizzard. Tizzard was a horse trainer from 1995 til 2022. Starting out as a dairy farmer, Tizzard’s Venn Farm then became […]
THUGS: Mendip Farmers Hunt terriermen beat up sab
A hunt saboteur was beaten up by Mendip Farmers Hunt terriermen on Thursday 21 November. She was taken to A&E for scans to rule out brain damage. The men also stole her handheld camera, as well as her body camera. The Mendip Hunt Saboteur was attacked by the terriermen as they attempted to dig out […]
HORRIFIC: South Dorset Hunt mutilates fox
Shocking footage, captured by Weymouth Animal Rights (WAR), is another stark reminder that hunters are driven by bloodlust and need to be urgently stopped by the Labour government. The sabs’ video clip, taken on 23 November, starts with hounds in brambles in a frenzy and ends with a heartbreaking closeup of a mutilated fox lying […]
GREAT NEWS! Scotland’s snare ban comes in to effect
It’s a massive victory for wildlife as Scotland’s snare ban comes into force on 25 November. The new legislation follows one year after Wales’ snare ban, while England continues to lag far behind both countries when it comes to the welfare of wildlife. Scotland banned snares back in March of this year as part of […]
Wynnstay Hunt using ‘dark and dirty tactics’ to bully monitors
It’s becoming an increasingly common scene – hired thugs employed by hunts to intimidate hunt saboteurs and monitors. The latest group to be targeted is Cheshire Borderland Monitors. They had already experienced various types of harassment over the past couple of hunting seasons, leading to convictions of people associated with the Wynnstay Hunt. In July […]
Hunt Havoc: Heythrop Hunt issued with Community Resolution
On 13 November, Gloucestershire Police’s Rural Crime Team announced that the Heythrop Hunt had been issued with a Community Resolution because of its out of control hounds. This is a small step for the police, but is significant because it shows that forces can take action if they are inclined to do so. The incident […]
LAMPING: Police share harrowing account of deer mutilation
Two men have been given a slap on the wrist at Lincoln magistrates court after a lamping incident in Lincolnshire. The men used a dog to hunt, maim and kill the deer in what police described as “a scene from a thriller”. Although relatively unknown compared with hunting with a pack of dogs, lamping is […]
Snares, hunts, and shoots: Billionaire duke’s vast estate no haven for wildlife
The Green Britain Foundation recently obtained undercover footage of a fox trapped in a snare on the Duke of Westminster’s estate in Cheshire. As the Mirror reported, activists who discovered and filmed the snared fox, released it. But they said many other snares were set in one wood alone on the 11,000 acre Eaton Estate. […]
Blackmore and Sparkford Vale hounds tear up fox in residential garden
Hunting hounds caused yet more havoc this week when the notorious Blackmore and Sparkford Vale’s dogs ran rampage in a residential garden, chasing and killing a fox. The heartbreaking incident took place in West Camel, Somerset, on 11 November. Footage was captured on the home’s security camera and given to North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs. The […]
Grouse Moor Licencing: the legal mess we always thought it would be
To the surprise of no one, NatureScot (the executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government responsible for the country’s natural heritage) has caved in to the demands of the shooting industry – trashing the overhyped grouse moor licencing system just months after its implementation. Licencing was brought in (allegedly) to stop the raptor persecution […]
Scotland: Jed Forest Hunt kills fox in front of sabs
Hunting with dogs is, supposedly, banned in Scotland. Hunts, however, continue to sidestep the country’s 2023 legislation. The Labour government is considering new hunting legislation in England and Wales: it needs to take note of the loopholes that hunts are using to continue killing. On 9 November 2024, Glasgow Hunt Saboteurs witnessed a fox kill […]
Cottesmore Hunt thug pleads guilty after terrorising saboteurs
A hired thug who made life hell for hunt saboteurs pleaded guilty in court on 6 November. David Fildes faced multiple charges after weeks of violence against sabs earlier in 2024. He will be sentenced in December. Northants Hunt Saboteurs stated that Fildes is the Cottesmore Hunt’s “main hired hunt thug”. The sabs reported: “He […]
Dozens of Britain’s top gardeners join pro-shooting media platform
The pro-hunting media site Scribehound recently launched a gardening ‘channel’. It lists some of the country’s most well-known gardeners among its contributors, including “the nation’s gardener,” Alan Titchmarsh, as Gardens Illustrated has described him. Scribehound is listed in Protect the Wild’s bloodbusiness database due to its overtly pro-hunting and shooting output and its founder being […]
GUILTY: Wynnstay terrierman sentenced for interfering with badger sett
Wynnstay Hunt terrierman Ryan Brennan has pleaded guilty to interfering with a badger sett in Shropshire. Blocking badger setts is illegal under the Protection of Badgers Act. Like every man who is found guilty of offences related to fox hunting, he avoided prison. The incident took place in January 2024. Brennan was given a ten-month […]
Drivers forced to slam on brakes as hunts cause ‘carnage’ on roads
Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs reported two incidents of hunts causing carnage on roads last week, risking both dogs’ and drivers’ lives. This should be a stark reminder to the Labour government: the Hunting Act needs urgently changing to ensure that hunts are prosecuted for their reckless behaviour. On 6 November, the sabs reported that Worcestershire […]
Horrific: Dog forced to fight wildlife loses bottom of his jaw
A man escaped prison on 7 November, despite inflicting the most horrific cruelty on three dogs in his care. 35-year-old Peter Bewsher, from Egremont, Cumbria, received a 12-week suspended sentence after forcing his dogs to fight wild mammals. Bewsher’s property was searched by the RSPCA and the police on 14 February 2024. What they found […]
Dorset vicar stands by hare hunters
Protect the Wild’s Blood Business website lists hundreds of businesses, organisations and land owners that are connected to hunting with dogs and/or shooting birds or mammals. Our latest entry, a church in Dorset, may surprise many people. St Peter’s Church is located in Purse Caundle, and the vicar, Reverend Canon Richard Hancock, was photographed this […]
Philip Seccombe: pro-hunting Police and Crime Commissioner wants your opinion!
Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Philip Seccombe wants your opinion on his “plans for strengthening policing, safeguarding people and protecting communities in Warwickshire.” The PCC needs to take a look at his own record on hunting, while Warwickshire Police needs to take a look at its dire policing of wildlife crime. Seccombe’s office is conducting […]
GUILTY! Burton huntsman convicted under Hunting Act
Yet another hunter has been convicted under the Hunting Act. On 28 October, 59-year-old Neil Burton, huntsman of the Burton Hunt, was found guilty of hunting a wild mammal with dogs. This conviction is the first of its kind in Lincolnshire. Damning footage of the incident, which took place on 27 January 2024, was captured […]
‘Traumatising’: Gruesome footage shows Seavington Hunt tearing up fox
Two Counties Hunt Sabs have published gruesome footage from the Seavington Hunt’s opening meet, which took place on 26 October. The video shows a fox being caught by hounds and torn up, while the huntsman watches closely. A rider then throws the fox’s body into a nearby stream. (WARNING: Video shows a fox being killed) […]
Matt Western MP takes on the Countryside Alliance
It has been almost two years since Warwickshire Police issued the Warwickshire Hunt with a Community Protection Notice (CPN) for causing road chaos. Controversially, in August 2023 the force suddenly dropped the CPN, saying it had come to a private agreement with the hunt. MP Matt Western called it a “super scandal”. And now he […]
HAVE YOUR SAY! Northern Ireland launches consultation into banning hunting with dogs
It is still completely legal to hunt wild mammals with dogs in Northern Ireland. But the Alliance Party is trying to ban the barbaric practice – and it wants you to have your say. Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) John Blair has launched a consultation (which runs until 13/Jan/25) into his plan to use a […]
Undercover footage of raptor persecution ‘a game changer’
On 22 October Channel 4’s Alex Thomson introduced extraordinary video footage captured by the RSPB Investigations Team of three gamekeepers on a grouse moor in North Yorkshire, discussing (and then off-camera killing), a Hen Harrier. While that may not sound particularly ‘game changing’, what makes this footage especially important is that the audio quality is […]
Harrowing photos show hunting hound plummeting off bridge
Hunt saboteurs have captured the moment a hunting hound tumbled off a railway bridge. As Protect the Wild launches our new campaign to rehome the hounds, their photos are a clear example of how little hunts care for their dogs, despite their claims otherwise. The pictures, published by Norfolk/Suffolk Hunt Saboteurs on 17 October, show […]
Equipment Fund: Keeping up the pressure on Cheshire’s hunts
Twenty years after the passing of the Hunting Act there are still several hundred hunts going out with packs of hounds (and more often than not with a hardcore of badger baiters and dog fighters that make up hunt ‘terriermen’). Having tried to bludgeon the public and the authorities into submission and force repeal of […]
GUILTY AGAIN! West Norfolk Foxhounds men lose court appeal
Two West Norfolk Foxhounds men appeared in court again last week, this time to appeal hunting convictions. To their dismay, their attempt at overturning their guilty verdicts backfired. Their convictions were upheld on 18 October. Back on 19 July 2024, a judge convicted huntsman Edward “Mikey” Bell and whipper-in Andrew Egginton on two counts each […]
BOXING DAY: Winchester Council to close road enabling Hampshire Hunt to parade
Wildlife defenders campaign every year to try to stop Boxing Day hunt parades, but Winchester City Council has announced that not only will it close a road for the Hampshire Hunt, but that police will be deployed to protect the parade. It is astounding that in 2024, the archaic bloodsport of fox hunting is not […]
Serious outbreak of Avian Flu found in pheasants
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has reported an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI H5N5) in 20 pheasants released onto a Worcestershire shoot. The outbreak was recorded on APHA’s weekly updated database for week 39 – in other words between 23-29 September – in Wychavon. No precise location details are provided and […]
HUNTING BAN: Labour must learn from Scotland’s mistakes
It was a seemingly momentous victory when Scotland banned hunting with dogs. One year on, its legislation is failing wildlife. The Labour government has promised to properly ban hunting too – but it needs to learn from its neighbour’s mistakes. Campaigners described it as a “landmark moment” when, late in the evening on 24 January […]
NORTHERN IRELAND: serial offender shows how court system failing animals
A man from Northern Ireland has been charged yet again with animal cruelty. His case is a prime example of how courts are failing to stop those with a bloodlust for killing animals. 36-year-old Neil Pinkerton didn’t show up at Newtownards court in County Down on 13 October, but his barrister told the District Judge […]
Double the airtime and added personal protection! Equipment Fund: Locals against the BSV
A few weeks ago we received a request from a member of Locals Against the BSV (the notorious Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt) for equipment which opened with “I don’t know if I would qualify as I’m not part of a sab group, but have recently started going out with Dorset Against Blood Sports and […]
