No more Hunting with Dogs – Part 3

The real Hunt

Hunt sabbing

As soon as I am old enough, I will be joining the Hunt Sabateurs Association and going out hunt sabbing on the Mendips. Every fox or cub that is saved is a victory and as an activist, I feel that I have to go out there and do something, not just talk about it.

I feel frustrated that I can’t do something more now. All I can do is keeping writing about what is happening and persuading people to sign the petition against the repeal of the Hunting With Dogs Act.

I can understand why I wouldn't be allowed to join in hunt sabing yet though, it is really dangerous as The Hunts have the attitude that you shouldn't be there, so if you get injured then it's your own fault.

An injured female hunt sabbatuer

Violence from a Hunt member, who never get prosecuted by the police/CPS
I am sure that police officers are told never to arrest hunt, and that comes from high levels

Confrontation amongst the Hunt

Read the article “Why I am still sabotaging fox hunts 10 years after they were banned” by Lee Moon in the Guardian Newspaper http://bit.ly/1eZ8pj8

Also read this article by The League against Cruel sports in the Metro Newspaper “We should never bring back hunting with dogs – and here’s why” by Chris Pitt http://bit.ly/1HXQtfK which I have copied below:

Hunt dogs ripping a fox apart

A fox killed by Hunt dogs

"Debate is currently raging about whether hunting with dogs should be made legal once again. How depressing, says Chris Pitt of the League Against Cruel Sports. 

Pro-hunt supporters will claim that hunting is a form of wildlife management, and that the activity is ‘non-wounding‘.

Does this look like "non wounding" to you?

That sounds okay, right? Here’s the reality: 

Foxes are ripped apart by hounds, often while still alive. 

‘Cub’ hunting involves areas of woodland being surrounded by hunt members who prevent young foxes from escaping when the hounds are sent in. Deer are chased to an exhausted standstill. Hares are forced to take part in the ‘sport’ of hare coursing, in which two dogs race to catch it, before ripping it apart, often in a gruesome tug of war. Some try to claim that this kind of activity is somehow ‘natural’. It’s not. 

When foxes are chased, they will bolt down holes to escape; as part of a fox hunt, the holes will be surrounded before terrier dogs are sent down to trap and/or fight with the fox. This leads to horrific injuries and potentially death for both animals. That’s the reality, and that’s why 80% of people in this country want hunting to remain illegal. That includes 78% of people in rural areas, dispelling the myth that only townie ‘know-nothings’ are anti-hunting. 

The wildlife management argument is also flawed. If you want to stop foxes – in town or country – the best methods are humane deterrents and a good fence. Another point here is that the reputation of foxes as ‘vermin’ is based on prejudice, not fact. Their impact on the farming industry is nowhere near as negative as is made out – in fact many farms benefit from the presence of foxes which kill rabbits, which in turn do a lot of crop damage.

Less than 1% of annual lamb losses can be directly attributed to foxes. 

Arguments that the Hunting Act has failed, or hasn’t helped animal welfare, are nothing but bluff – there have been over 400 successful prosecutions under the Act. At the League Against Cruel Sports we believe it could be strengthened a bit to stop people from jumping through loopholes, but basically it’s a vital and successful piece of legislation. 

Hunting with hounds is not pest control, nor ‘wildlife management’. It’s not a class issue, nor a town-vs-country argument. It’s nothing but a cruel sport that was consigned to the history books, and we believe that there will be enough MPs who will vote to make sure it stays there."

Hunt member with fox killed by dogs

My message to everyone who is not sure about acting, it is time to join us:

The line it is drawn

The curse it is cast

The slow one now

Will later be fast

As the present now

Will later be past

The order is

Rapidly fadin'

What can you do?

Don't forget that The Hunting Lobby is powerful, with well connected aristocratic activists among them.  Before hunting with dogs was banned, the Countryside Alliance rustled up 250,000 for two marches against the ban.  As a comparison, our Hen Harrier Day last summer had 570.  That is what we are up against.

We need to mobilise ourselves quickly and ensure the government take heed of the 80% majority in our cities and countryside who oppose this act being repealed. 

Write to your MP using the following website - http://bit.ly/1JERayX

Petition the SNP to vote against the repeal - http://chn.ge/1MjHzfY

About the writer

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig on Scilly

Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig

Mya-Rose Craig is a 13 year old young birder, conservationist, environmentalist, activist, writer and speaker. She is based near Bristol, UK and blogs about birding and conservation from around the world. Wader conservation is important to her and she is Ambassador to the global wader initiative World Shorebird Day. She is looking forward to Mountain Gorilla trekking this summer in East Africa and to watching penguins in Antarctica in December, her 7th continent. She has recently been listed with the singer songwriter George Ezra and actress Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones as one of Bristol's most influential young people. Please like her Birdgirl Facebook Page and follow her on Birdgirl Twitter.