Hunting is considered a sport in many countries around the world. As a result millions of animals die every year. The most common practice is ‘small game hunting’, in which the victims tend to be partridges, turtle-doves, rabbits, and aquatic and migratory birds. There is also ‘big game hunting’, in which the victims include wild boar, deer and rams. Hunters use guns to kill certain individuals, and lead pellets to kill, injure and mutilate others. Cruel and barbaric bloodsports have no place in modern day society.
Fox hunting originated in Britain, but is practised all over the world, including in Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy and the United States. In Australia, the term also refers to the hunting of foxes with firearms similar to spotlighting or deer hunting. in Britain, ‘hunting’ without qualification implies fox hunting (or beagling, stag hunting and mink hunting). In Britain, hunting animals for sport is illegal, however the law is being broken.
Fox hunting was banned in Britain in 2004, but it still practised on a weekly basis all around the country. A foxhunt is a cruel and bloody event and involves the chasing of a red fox by a pack of trained foxhounds or other scent hounds and a group of hunters on horseback or foot. When being chased by the hounds, a fox will often attempt to escape underground. At this point a terrier is often sent down the hole to hold the fox at bay while the terriermen dig out the fox. As the fox is unable to escape it will then experience high levels of fear which, without being able to escape, will increase over time.
In the autumn of each year (August–October), hunts take the young hounds out cub hunting to kill young foxes. However, foxes are not the only animals to suffer. Historically it has been common practice to put hounds down at the end of their working lives around 6 – 8 years, or when a foxhound becomes too slow to keep up with the pack. There have also been numerous occasions when hounds have been injured or killed on roads and railway lines and when terriers have been injured or killed during terrier work.
Just because something was once a way of life does not mean it is right. We live in a modern, progressive society and allowing dogs to chase and kill wild animals for entertainment is simply not acceptable.