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 […]
Hunt Havoc and Farmed Animals
Hunt Havoc and farmed animals Hunts need huge areas of land to hunt on. Legally they must follow a scent trail laid before setting off, and not go where they’re not wanted or not allowed. Hunts need huge areas of land to hunt on. Legally they must follow a scent trail laid before setting off, […]
Hunt Havoc and Violence
Hunt Havoc and Violence It isn’t just wildlife and hounds who are victims of hunting. Monitoring hunts can be a dangerous task, and people who oppose them are often risking their lives. Hunt saboteurs are prime targets for violent hunt thugs because it is their footage, as well as their eye witness accounts, which expose […]
Hunt Havoc and and Mini’s Law
Hunt Havoc and Mini’s Law In January 2018, hounds from the East Sussex and Romney Marsh Hunt tore through a cat sanctuary in Hastings. The incident scattered dozens of cats, more than 20 of whom weren’t recovered. This was not an isolated incident, There have been many incidents involving hunts causing carnage to domestic animals […]
Hunt Havoc
Hunting Havoc Hunt Havoc – it’s everywhere the hunts go… One reason we need to get rid of hunting altogether – not simply try to strengthen existing legislation and allow hunting to continue in a slightly altered form – is to stop what is known as ‘hunt havoc’. Hunts have always exploited loopholes and exemptions […]
HUNT HAVOC: Sab drone records moment hound almost hit on road
Surrey Hunt Sabs shared video filmed by a drone of hounds chasing what the group said was a fox. And it highlights why groups including Protect the Wild say the Hunting Act needs a recklessness clause. On 4 February, Surrey Hunt Sabs shared footage filmed earlier that day by its drone. It showed hounds running […]
Hunting Havoc Report reveals shocking level of hunt recklessness
Hunting Havoc Report reveals shocking level of hunt recklessness In the past decade there have been numerous reports of hunting hounds chasing terrified animals and, in some cases, killing domestic animals, livestock and pets. These so-called “accidents” are taking place across the country every year and the hunts repeatedly apologise for their actions and promise […]
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, […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
Hunt loses control of hounds, causing mayhem in village
On Monday 7 October, hounds caused chaos in the community of Oake, Somerset, as the Taunton Vale Harriers lost control of its hounds. This is yet another clear example of how hunts can not be trusted to take care of their dogs. Oake Parish Council issued a warning on Facebook to residents, saying: “AVOID OAKE… […]
Pro-hunting PCC commissions review into Warwickshire Police hunting bias
A review into the behaviour of Warwickshire Police and its policing of fox hunting is underway. But pro-wildlife campaigners already have little confidence in the process, particularly because it has been commissioned by pro-hunting Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe. The review was launched on 30 September in response to the way the force has […]
Hunts persecute 600 wild animals in a single season, 20 years after the ‘sport’ was outlawed
Protect the Wild has released a damning new report detailing the high levels of wildlife persecution that took place during the 2023/24 hunting season. A Case for a Proper Ban on Hunting shows that nearly 600 wild animals were chased or killed over the course of season, some two decades on from the hunting of […]
Hunting: A Case for a Proper Ban on Hunting (2024)
Report: A Case for a Proper Ban on Hunting Protect the Wild’s second annual analysis of hunting and why we argue for a total ban on hunting with hounds An extensive research project into the observations and findings of hunt saboteur and monitor groups during the 2023/2024 hunting season. Executive Summary: Our report, titled A […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Hunting hounds killed on A43 in ‘shocking incident’
Northants Hunt Saboteurs have received a number of reports that hounds from the Pytchley with Woodland Hunt have been killed when the hunt lost control of them. The incident took placed on 19 February on the A43 between Broughton and Sywell, Northamptonshire. The sabs posted photos on Facebook, sent to them by motorists, which show […]
Hunting: A Case for Change
Hunting: A Case for Change A comprehensive analysis of hunting and its impact on wildlife and people An extensive research project into the observations and findings of hunt saboteur and monitor groups during the 2022/2023 hunting season. Executive Summary: “Hunting: A Case for Change” sheds light on the extensive observations and findings of hunt […]
Two hunting hounds killed on busy road
2023 came to a close with more animals suffering needless deaths when two hunting hounds were killed on the A30 in Devon. On 30 December, hunt saboteurs reported that the dogs, suspected to belong to the Mid Devon Hunt, had been killed after being hit by cars. One was still alive and in critical condition […]
SHOCKING: Hunt rider filmed striking whip at cyclist
On Saturday 11 November, a Kent Hounds field rider struck his whip at a cyclist. His action shows the complete disdain hunts have for the public. Footage released on KentOnline shows the woman sitting on her bike in the road as the hunt moves past her. As the rider meets her, he aggressively strikes his […]
Hunting hounds run rampage in Devon
The Dartmoor Hunt has run rampage, its hounds terrorising animals of Farm & Feral Animal Sanctuary in south Devon. This is, once again, a reminder that the Hunting Act needs replacing with stronger legislation which shuts down fox hunting for good. The sanctuary’s Missy Freeman-Davies reported that the hounds caused havoc as they tore through […]
This is the solution to end fox hunting for good
Week in, week out, Protect the Wild reports on foxes being murdered, hunt staff harassing monitors or being violent towards them, hounds causing havoc on public roads, and more. Most hunts get away with all of this with total impunity. Why? Because of exemptions and loopholes written into the Hunting Act 2004 as it passed […]
MP demands answers from Police and Crime Commissioner about hunting bias
Labour MP Matt Western has sent a letter to Philip Seccombe, Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Warwickshire, asking him about the questionable policing of the Warwickshire Hunt. A Conservative councillor on Stratford-on-Avon District Council between 2002 and 2017, Seccombe was first elected as the Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner in 2016 and re-elected for […]
Gloucestershire Council must ban hunting on its land
Gloucestershire Council is the latest council to consider banning trail hunting on its land. The county is home to some of England’s most notorious hunts, including the Cotswold Hunt which made news headlines when it buried a fox alive in March 2023. The Heythrop Hunt also terrorises foxes in Gloucestershire. On 23 September 2023, Three […]
Heythrop Hunt hounds tear up a fox in front of hunt saboteurs
Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs caught the Heythrop Hunt tearing up a fox cub on 23 September. Gloucestershire Police says it is investigating, but it remains to be seen whether the force will take action. The Heythrop’s current huntsman is criminal hunter Chris Woodward. The sabs recalled the events of the day in their report on […]
Stop the Mendip Farmers Hunt from parading this Boxing Day
Murdering foxes. Killing its own hounds. Blocking badger setts. Brutal attacks on hunt saboteurs. Traumatising domestic animals. Stealing monitors’ equipment. This is the criminal Mendip Farmers Hunt (MFH). Protect the Wild and Action Against Foxhunting are contacting councils in England and Wales to ask them to ban hunts from parading on their land on Boxing […]
Holderness Hunt kills fox in front of monitors, police take ‘no further action’
* WARNING: There are graphic images included with this report. We’ve not used them to be gratuitous but to illustrate what we consider to be clear evidence of a wildlife crime * In March 2023 Hull Wildlife Protectors (HWP) photographed hounds from the Beverly-based Holderness Hunt tearing apart a fox while hunt staff looked on […]
This is why Pewsey Parish Council shouldn’t permit a Boxing Day hunt parade for the Tedworth Hunt
The Tedworth Hunt is expected to hold its annual parade in Pewsey this Boxing Day. However, hunt saboteurs and monitors have repeatedly exposed the hunt as a perpetrator of anti-social and criminal acts. Does Pewsey Parish Council want local residents and the wider public to view it as a supporter of such behaviour? The Tedworth […]
Yet another pet is seriously injured by hunting hounds
Essex and Suffolk Hunt hounds mauled a pet dog in Layham, Suffolk, on 15 August. The hounds were being exercised when the attack happened. Local news outlet, Hadleigh Nub News, reported that the labradoodle dog needed treatment from a vet, and that “the elderly dog walker was left shocked and upset by the incident.” Terrorised […]
Hunting community blames ‘extremists’ for being issued Community Protection Notice
Back in December 2022, the Warwickshire Hunt was issued with a Community Protection Notice (CPN). But now the police have backtracked, having negotiated with the hunt to come to a “sensible working arrangement”. It should come as little surprise that the hunting community has used this news as an opportunity to complain about police “criminalising […]
Police slap a newly merged hunt with an ‘ASBO’ before it’s even got going
Police in Hertfordshire have slapped the Puckeridge and Essex Union Hunt with a Community Protection Notice (CPN). The requirements of the notice are extensive and will hamper the pack’s week-to-week hunting. On 26 July, Hertfordshire Constabulary announced it had issued a CPN to the Puckeridge and Essex Union Hunt. The stipulations of the notice include […]
Cattistock Hunt escapes prosecution despite railway line fox chase
On 10 July, North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs reported that the Cattistock Hunt will not be prosecuted for trespassing onto railway tracks. This shows police bias in action: hunts continually get away with trespassing on railways, while members of the public doing the same face prosecution. The incident in question took place on 4 February 2023, […]
Wynnstay huntsman pleads guilty of threatening behaviour
Wynnstay huntsman Chris Woodward has pleaded guilty to causing intentional harassment, alarm or distress, an offence under the Public Order Act. The hunter rode his horse at a Cheshire Monitors volunteer during a fox hunting meet on 7 January 2023. Woodward galloped towards the monitor on his horse, almost knocking the man to the ground. […]
End Stag Hunting: Dr Amir Khan lends voice to new animation
Protect the Wild has launched a new short animation slamming illegal stag hunting and featuring the voice of broadcaster, wildlife campaigner and full-time NHS GP Dr Amir Khan. In our animation Dr Khan explains how deer hunts can last up to six hours and are ‘exempt’ under the Hunting Act 2004 because hunts claim they […]
Clearing away the ‘trail hunt’ smokescreen
The Trail Hunt Smokescreen Clearing away the ‘trail hunt’ smokescreen In 2004 the passing of the Hunting Act made fox hunting illegal. Since then hunts have claimed to be following artificial scent trails rather than deliberately hunting wild mammals. This is nothing but a lie. So-called ‘trail hunting’ didn’t exist before the passing of the […]
Hunting of Mammals Bill Overview
Hunting of Mammals Bill Overview We need a proper ban on hunting, which is why Protect the Wild commissioned Advocates for Animals to help us develop new legislation – The Hunting of Mammals Bill. Our new Bill is far more than just an update of the Hunting Act 2004. It is based on years of […]
The Forgotten Victims of Hunting
The Forgotten Victims of Hunting Hunting’s impact on animals is usually focussed on the foxes, hares, deer, and other mammals that are still suffering from being illegally hunted. But there are other animals also caught up in hunting’s exploitation of sentient beings: the dogs that hunts use. They are the forgotten victims of hunting and […]
Why not strengthen the Hunting Act?
Why not strengthen the Hunting Act? A new Bill? Why not strengthen the Hunting Act instead? We need a proper ban on hunting, which is why we commissioned Advocates for Animals to help us campaign for a new law – The Hunting of Mammals Bill. But why not work to strengthen the existing legislation? Protect […]
A Proper Ban on Hunting
The Hunting of Mammals Bill It has been almost two decades since the passing of the Hunting Act 2004, banning the hunting of wild mammals with dogs in England and Wales. But hunts continue to operate, creating havoc and breaking the law by chasing and killing wild mammals under the guise of ‘trail hunting’, using […]
Proper Ban on Hunting Petition
Sign the petition for a proper ban on all hunting with hounds 118408 people have taken action so far. Help us reach 150000 First name Last name Email Phone Subject Letter Dear Secretary of State (Steve Reed MP) It has been two decades since the Hunting Act 2004 was passed in England and Wales, which […]
Wynnstay Hunt supporter filmed giving nazi salute to hunt monitor
The Wynnstay Hunt’s questionable reputation reached a new low on 7 February 2023 when a prominent hunt supporter harassed a hunt monitor, repeatedly performing the Nazi salute at her. Lesley, a Cheshire Monitors volunteer, was on foot, observing and filming the hunt. Field riders blocked her way, while a man called Ian Jones continually talked […]
Hunting hounds rampage through animal park
On Saturday 14 January, hounds from the Mendip Farmers Hunt (MFH) caused havoc as they tore through Chew Valley Animal Park. And yet the MFH continues to insist that it hunts legally. Protect the Wild spoke to Mendip Hunt Sabs, who were on the ground that day. The sabs said: “Hounds from the Mendip Farmers […]
Basil the rhea went missing for days after he was spooked by hunting hounds
Hounds spooked a rhea in Northamptonshire as they hunted nearby. The bird was missing for days. But his owner just announced that he’s now back home. Sophie Wills initially posted on 11 January that her “beloved Basil” went missing around 1.30pm that day. She said he was “last seen being chased by a hound/hounds”. Basil […]
Police ‘ASBO’ the Warwickshire Hunt for causing road chaos
Warwickshire Police has slapped the Warwickshire Hunt with an ‘ASBO’. It means the hunt is required to tell the police whenever it crosses a public road. And the local hunt saboteur group has welcomed the move. On 14 December, Warwickshire Rural Crime Team announced it had issued a Community Protection Notice (CPN) to the Warwickshire […]
Hunting in Residential Areas Survey
Survey on Residential Hunting: 2021 76% agree hunting in residential areas should be illegal… A poll conducted by Survation on behalf of Protect the Wild revealed that 76% of those surveyed think ‘conducting hunting activities in residential areas should be illegal’. 12% of respondents said they believed hunting activities in residential areas should be legal […]
End Hunting
End Hunting Protect the Wild is working to end hunting. We’re fighting for a future where hunting no longer exists. Through campaigning, animations, and articles we are informing the public that hunting still takes place. Through our Support Network and Equipment Fund we are providing equipment to front-line groups. Through our free Protectors of the Wild resource we are […]
Hunting Office backlash continues…
Hunting Office backlash continues… …leading to an even more undemocratic rearranging of the deckchairs Fox hunting had always assumed it was built on solid foundations. Little wonder really. For hundreds of years the ‘nobility’ ran packs of hounds out of stately homes, killing foxes across land their families owned (or rented out to tenant farmers), […]
Ten reasons why 2022 was a remarkable and historic year
As we reach the end of 2022, it’s a good time to look back on how far the movement against hunting has come in just 12 months. This list looks at some of the most high profile moments from the past year and is ordered chronologically. Many more moments that are no less important have […]
Fear for pet as foxhounds tear through Cumbrian village
A dogwalker was left shaken and concerned for their pet as a ‘dangerously out of control’ pack of foxhounds ran towards them chasing a fox in the West Cumbrian village of Lamplugh, according to a report in Cumbria’s News and Star. The local resident, who didn’t want to give their name for fear of retribution, […]
News
NEWS Breaking news on our work and issues affecting wildlife. We update our site regularly so check back here or subscribe to our newsletter. You can also follow us on our socials to keep up to date. Latest newsFoxShootingRaptor PersecutionBadgerDeerInvestigateCampaign Latest news Cat found nearly ‘cut in two’ after a snare wrapped around his stomach […]
