18th September 2012
Hounds Off Progress Report no. 1
Since September 2011, hundreds of acres of land are known to have been made out of bounds to bloodsports, affecting dozens of Hunts nationwide. In reality the figure could be much higher because we have no system for monitoring Warning Off emails and letters sent by individuals. Hounds Off encourages autonomous action. We deliberately make no demands regarding feedback or membership.
Following 26 complaints regarding Hunt trespass during the season 2011/12, Hounds Off offered practical advice and support in warning Hunts off land in twelve different counties, including:
- 170 acres lost to North Ledbury Hunt after alpacas were attacked by hounds.
- East Studdal, near Dover, forbidden to West Street Tickham Hunt following a hunt invasion and fox killing in the village.
- At least seven Dorset properties banned to Portman Hunt in weekend of action, 22/23 October.
- Securing hunt-free zone status for a Yorkshire property where the family cat was killed in December following trespass by Staintondale Hunt.
- 15 Kentish acres forbidden to Ashford Valley Hunt including woodland inhabited by foxes.
- Over 300 acres in Somerset and Dorset confirmed as Hunt-free, affecting at least two foxhunts there.
- Confirming the hunt-free status a 227 acre woodland Nature Reserve in Dorset following hunt trespass in November.
Hounds Off is supported by individuals and organisations from across the campaigning and political spectrum.
Hounds Off encourages the creation of hunt-free sanctuaries to stop the illegal hunting of wild animals with dogs in Britain via engagement with our website, www.houndsoff.co.uk . By following the simple process explained there, involving Warning Off notices being sent to the hunters, Hounds Off is spearheading a campaign which invites everyone to join in regardless of who you are or where you live.
Please visit our website. Take action. Tell your family and friends to do the same. Support the Hunting Ban. Support Hounds Off. Be part of the people’s campaign against bloodsports.
Posted by Joe Hashman
28th February 2012
“Cynical Subterfuge” Is Not Accidental
There is no moral case for hunting with hounds in the minds of most right-thinking people and that’s why the seven-year old Ban is such a good thing: it represents a positive shift in the humanitarian values of our society.
Let’s be honest; the spirit of the Hunting Act (2004) is clear. That’s why many hunt supporters hate it so much. And, however difficult applying the letter of this Law might be, it has proved to be by no means impossible.
Propaganda from the pro-hunting lobby has always been, in my opinion, a deliberately confusing smoke-screen of half-truths and lies.
Take this last few months for instance: Newspapers have reported incident after incident of Hunts across the nation trespassing on private land, hounds running out of control, public safety put at risk, pet killings and livestock worrying. Pro-hunt apologists repeatedly claim that such misdemeanours are accidental and that their ‘sport’ is conducted legally. Yet, simultaneously, they’ve bombarded the press with arguments that the Law isn’t working and must be repealed.
A simple truth is that over 180 prosecutions of offenders under the Hunting Act (2004) have established that, however it is ridiculed, misrepresented or ignored, enforcement can and has been successful.
Statistically and morally, I think that repeal of this legislation should be a political non-starter. Instead of pandering to the demands of folk who are desperate to get their kicks from chasing and killing defenceless creatures we need MPs and the police to demand more transparency from Hunts. This could start with requiring that hunt supporters tell the truth; are they adhering to the Law of the land or are they breaking it?
Posted by Joe Hashman
23rd February 2012
How To Report Illegal Hunting
I was on the phone to a local policeman the other day whilst discussing an incident of hunt-related wildlife crime. The copper was under no illusions about the mythical practice of ‘trail hunting’. He was well aware that live foxes are regularly being harried and killed.
“They’re all at it,” he said in reference to the packs on his beat.
I represented Hounds Off at a meeting with police in Dorset earlier this month, alongside other animal protection groups. We’d all noticed a rise in Hunt trespass reported in the local press. We pointed out that a representative from one Hunt in particular had issued apologies via the newspapers for running roughshod through village gardens and over forbidden land on four separate occasions in recent weeks.
His excuses included, “it seems they [hounds] picked up the scent of a fox and went after it,” (Blackmore Vale Magazine, 6 Jan); “there are times when the hounds deviate onto live quarry or when wind shifts the trail,” (Blackmore Vale Magazine, 20 Jan and Western Gazette, 2 Feb – same quote for two separate incidents); and “The hunt was in the wrong. We have apologised and won’t let it happen again,” (Blackmore Vale Magazine, 10 Feb).
The meeting was told that in these days of budget cuts and statistics-led policing, as far as the authorities are concerned, illegal hunting is not reported enough for it to register as a problem that needs resourcing.
One way to address illegal hunting is to report every incident witnessed. I asked the police at our meeting how we, the public, could do this most effectively. They said the answer was to phone 101 and make sure that your complaint is logged. Like it or not, there needs to be a critical mass of complaints before, statistically-speaking, the police actively enforce the Law.
101 is the non-emergency police hotline. Wherever you live the instruction is clear: if you see a Hunt and suspect it’s acting illegally then phone 101 and report it. Make sure the person on the other end gives you an Incident Number too. Pass on this message to your family, friends and neighbours. It might feel like a pointless action in isolation but, together, we can make a worthwhile stand.
Posted by Joe Hashman
