Hunting hounds left freezing and stranded in local shop

“We ask the local community to be the resistance against these utter scumbags, alongside sabs, until such time a ban is put in place. Brush up on legal forms of direct action and be the person to stand in their way. Petitions do nothing.”

Hound abuse is common

The hunting industry claims to love its hounds. The dogs are regularly used as cuddly cogs in its propaganda machine to try to convince the public that hunting is not barbaric; that it is a quaint tradition which needs urgently saving from extinction. But as Protect the Wild has reported many times, there’s repeated evidence that hunts routinely abuse their hounds – despite their social media posts gushing about their adorable canine friends.

We’ve published news stories of hunts murdering their hounds, and of hounds being killed on roads, knocked down on railway tracks, and even repeatedly falling down a mineshaft. If hunts truly cared about the welfare of their dogs – and they’re obliged to by law with a duty of care – we wouldn’t see these news headlines again and again.

Protect the Wild researcher Charlotte Smith commented on this latest incident of hound abuse in Northern Ireland. She said:

“This is neither the first nor will it be the last instance of hunt hounds being left stranded after meets, underscoring the clear disregard hunts have for the welfare of these animals. Often left overnight (and in freezing temperatures) hunts fail to ensure the safety of any stray or stranded hounds. Regardless of the circumstances, or their breed, they are dogs, and no dog should be abandoned. Were anyone else responsible for this type of neglect, the dog warden would likely intervene, at least issuing a formal warning. In addition to the immediate risk to the hounds’ welfare, this neglect presents a significant danger to the public, should these animals become involved in road traffic accidents.”

Have your say to ban hunting with dogs in Northern Ireland

People may not realise that while England and Wales has the wholly insufficient Hunting Act – which gives a façade that hunting with dogs is banned – Northern Ireland has no such legislation. In December 2021 the Northern Ireland Assembly rejected a bill that would have made hunting with dogs illegal. Pro-hunting politicians defeated the bill with 45 votes, compared to 38 votes in support of a ban.

But there’s still hope. The Alliance Party is still 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 January) into his plan to use a Private Members Bill to ban the hunting of wild mammals with dogs. Blair previously brought forward the Bill in 2021.

You can fill in the consultation survey here, even if you don’t live in Northern Ireland. Protect the Wild urges the Alliance Party to take inspiration from our proposed Hunting of Mammals Bill, which was prepared by Advocates for Animals for law makers in England and Wales. Unlike the other Acts that have passed in the UK, the Hunting of Mammals Bill provides a comprehensive ban on hunting with hounds, with no exemptions or loopholes, and spells the end of fox hunting, deer hunting, hare coursing and hare hunting.

When filling in the form, we advise you to stress that there should be no exemptions to the law, and no Scotland-style licensing scheme. We also urge individuals to direct the Alliance Party to Protect the Wild’s Hunting of Mammals Bill, which would truly stop hunting in its tracks.

Learning from its neighbours’ mistakes, Northern Ireland has an opportunity to put forward the most robust hunting law in the UK.

• Fill in the survey ‘Public Consultation – Private Members’ Bill to Ban Hunting of Wild Mammals with Dogs’ here.