Hypocrites
On
Boxing Day 1997 the BBC2 series 'Under the Sun' featured the Shropshire-based
Ludlow Foxhounds. Whilst most of the
programme consisted of a particularly long and boring rendition of
the pathetic excuses offered by hunters everywhere for their so-called
'sport', it also included a horrific shooting and dumping of a three-year-old
foxhound which the hunt no longer required (pictured left).
The Ludlow's three-year-old hound is taken from the kennels and put in front
of its incinerator, it is shot in the head in the same way many thousands of
excess hounds are killed all over Britain each year, and then, without even bothering
to check that the animal is actually dead, the dog is dumped straight into the
incinerator as if just another piece of rubbish.
Former huntsman Clifford
Pellow has described the fate that befalls hounds that are unsuitable
for hunting. He says, "We
see plenty of images of young hounds and hound puppies being cuddled.
What people don't realise is that, if those young animals don't 'enter' when
they're introduced to hunting, they will be shot. I should know,
I've had to do it myself. In my day, out of a pack of forty hounds,
I would say that 10 would be shot in a year."
A secret investigation, by the League
Against Cruel Sports, into the workings of Cheshire 
Foxhounds'
kennels at Sandiway, had led to evidence of the shocking end of a
foxhound's
life. (click press article for full image)
A still from a video recording, made on Wednesday, 30th October
1996, shows the typical last moments of a hunting dog's life. The
dog was brought out into the kennels yard, taken into a corner, where
the kennelman put a gun to its head and shot it. This was one of
two hounds shot at the Cheshire kennels that day. Both were unceremoniously
thrown into a metal bin. The Hunt later claimed that they were sick.
However, this portrays the typical end of thousands of hunting dogs
that are disposed of each year. Few of them will have reached half
their potential lifespan.
Hunts regularly try to give the impression
that they care passionately about their animals, and yet in reality
they are simply tools of
the trade - to be callously disposed of as soon as they are no longer
useful.
During the summer months, one-year-old hound pups that will
have been looked after by hunt supporters, are introduced to the
kennels.
The Hunt will be looking to replace about one fifth of the pack each
year. By the time the dogs have hunted for around five - six seasons
they are considered too old and are usually shot in the head. The
new pups are introduced to hunting during summer and autumn fox-cub
hunting training sessions, where over 8,000 immature fox-cubs are
slaughtered to give the hounds a taste of blood. Those that don't
make the grade are also shot.
In all, by the start of each hunting
season in November, the League estimates around 6,000 dogs will have
been executed simply to ensure
the best hounds are left to provide 'entertainment' for those who
ride to hounds.
Hunts claim the hounds cannot be turned into pets,
and therefore they have no choice but to destroy the animals.
Twenty-four hounds belonging to the Flint
and Denbigh Hunt in North Wales were shot by their masters
after worrying sheep and killing one of them on land belonging
to Mr. Michael Griffith, Chairman of the Countryside Council
of Wales. Police did not take action after the sheep worrying
incident
despite Joint Master Rowley-Williams admitting
that 'It's not as if they were out of control
Published in the Wildlife Guardian, Issue
number 30, Winter 1994/5
