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 Hunt hounds ran at full speed onto the B4090 in Worcestershire. In the same incident, one dog was tangled in a barbed wire fence, and another was reportedly hit by a vehicle.
The sabs stated in their HIT report:
“This was the exact line a fox was seen taking when we sabbed their cub hunting meet a few weeks ago. Hounds could be seen by sabs hitting the road in full cry as cars and lorries had to do emergency stops. It was carnage.”
They continued:
“One hound was heard screaming pitifully for a very long time. It turned out he was upside down caught on wire and was cut out of it by hunt supporters. Other hounds were running up and down the main road bewildered. Sabs, some supporters and staff worked together to try and get the loose hounds safe. Other supporters seemed to find it amusing..
In the meantime many drivers and villagers in Bradley green and Feckenham were very upset as hounds were all over the place running in different directions. We had a report that a hound had been hit by a car in Feckenham. Road users, hounds, villagers and wildlife were all put at risk by the Worcestershire Hunt deciding to hunt foxes today.”
“The Worcestershire Hunt conducts lawful hound exercise and trail hunting activities to comply with the Hunting Act 2004. While exercising the hounds on Wednesday, our professional staff members had gathered the hounds up to safely cross a road when it became apparent one was caught up on a fence. Our professional and compassionate staff – for whom animal welfare is a priority – immediately freed the hound and there was minimum disruption to other road users.”
Heythrop chaos
Just days after this incident, the sabs reported that the Heythrop Hunt caused havoc on a road in Gloucestershire on 9 November. They wrote:
“200 riders (confirmed) by hunt stalker caused chaos on roads around the Slaughters and Lower Swell. Angry locals trying to go about their day were stuck in hunt traffic and even a member of the hunt were heard to say this is chaos.”
They continued:
“Eyes were kept on them all day as the hunted from the Slaughters to Upper Swell but we fear there was a kill when hounds were heard in cry in a residential area in Upper Swell. They ran into a land locked area and while a sab tried to catch up they ran over 2 roads including the B4077 to end up near Dunscombe House where a possible kill took place. Hunt staff and supporters seemed very happy and they packed up soon after at 4.15 to get to their hunt ball!”
‘Prevalent’
Hunt havoc like this described above is the norm, not the exception. For the last two hunting seasons, Protect the Wild’s Glen Black has collated figures of hunting incidents, such as the chasing and killing of mammals, as well as the numerous times hunts have run riot on roads and railways. He has found that there have been a massive 89 incidents of hunts causing chaos on roads already this season. Black pointed out:
“If hunts are following trails as they claim, then the number of incidents that have already occurred this season show the industry is incapable of keeping their hounds and other members of the public safe. More likely, though, the number of incidents are a sign of just how prevalent fox, hare and deer hunting remains.”
The fox hunting ‘season’, which starts with staff training their hounds to hunt small fox cubs, only began on 3 August. The figure of 89 incidents in just three months should be a wake-up call to politicians that they need to urgently change the law.
- Any change in legislation needs to make it an offence if a person intentionally or recklessly hunts a wild mammal using a dog.
- A reckless clause in legislation would ensure that hunts can not get away with saying that they were following a trail. It would mean that hunts could be more easily prosecuted for incidents like those mentioned in this article.
- Whether it be trespassing on railway lines, causing crashes on roads, or hounds killing family pets, hunts need to be held to account far more effectively.
Until we see serious consequences for hunt staff, we are going to continue to witness yet more hunts putting human – and dogs’ – lives at risk on roads.
Protect the Wild argues that the Hunting Act doesn’t just need amending, it needs replacing completely. Our proposed Hunting of Mammals Bill will stop hunting in its tracks, and finally give wildlife much-needed protection from illegal hunting.
Please support it and help us make it law. You can read the Bill in its entirety by downloading a pdf version here.
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