Hunting with hounds entails the gleeful pursuit and brutal death of an animal, with the primary victims being foxes, deer, hare, and mink. Network for Animals vigorously opposes hunting with hounds because it is blatantly unnecessary and egregiously cruel). For example, at the end of a hunt, foxes can be violently torn apart by packs of dogs specially bred for the purpose.

It is also important to remember that puppies and hounds bred for hunts are also victims of this cruel and pointless activity. Network for Animals has testimony from a former fox-hunter that breeders kill entire puppy litters. They breed from “the best bitch” and “second best bitch” then kill the puppies from the second-best bitch so there is more milk to go round the puppies from the “best bitch”.

She testifies that hunting hounds rarely make it past seven years old before being shot because they are judged to be too old for hunting.

Surveys have consistently shown that a majority of Britons oppose hunting with hounds and the Hunting Act 2004 banned hunting of with dogs in England and Wales. However, the present Conservative Prime Minister, Theresa May is on record as being pro-hunting and is in favour of a repeal of the Hunting Act.

Network for Animals lobbies members of parliament and government in the United Kingdom to seek a tightening of the laws in order to eliminate loopholes that allow some hunting to continue and to emphasise our supporters’ position that hunting with hounds must remain consigned to the dustbin of history.

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