Rehome the hounds: wildlife organisation calls for hunts to stop breeding hounds

Protect the Wild is calling for an immediate end to the breeding of hounds for use in the hunting industry.

With the industry on its last legs, the organisation believes now is the time for it to – finally – show some compassion towards the hounds in its care by ceasing breeding and putting a strategy in place to rehome existing dogs.

This demand is part of a new “Rehome the Hounds” campaign launched by Protect the Wild, which cuts through the lies that hunts tell about hounds to keep their dying pastime alive.

Hounds: the forgotten victims in hunting

Dogs are the forgotten victims. Bred by hunts for use in their pastime, hounds are frequently injured and killed due to this exploitation.

On 17 October, for instance, hunt saboteurs released photographs of the horrifying moment a hound plummeted off a railway bridge onto a road, face-first, during the course of a day’s activities with the West Norfolk Hunt. Other hounds have been killed on roads, knocked down on railway tracks, and some have even fallen down a mineshaft.

In addition to the suffering hounds endure during hunting, investigations have shown that their lives in kennels are no picnic either.

In 2021, a long running investigation carried out by the Hunt Investigation Team, which was supported by Protect the Wild, revealed harrowing undercover footage of the Duke of Beaufort Hunt shooting dead four of its hounds.

Although this was the first time a hunt had been caught on camera shooting its hounds, hunts across the country routinely kill their unwanted dogs before the start of each hunting season.

It is estimated that up to 7,000 hounds are unnecessarily killed every year. Very few hounds make it past the age of five or six, despite having a life expectancy of around fourteen.

Shockingly, a 2022 investigation involving the Carmarthenshire Hunt revealed that in some instances murdered hounds are being taken to power stations and used to make electricity.

Founder of the green energy company Ecotricity, Dale Vince, funded the investigation. He said at the time:

Millions of Brits will be shocked and disgusted to discover how hunts are treating their dogs and will be horrified to find out their lights might be puppy powered.

Atrocious conditions

For hounds who hunts allow to live, kennel conditions can be atrocious. Over the winter of 2022/23, the Hunt Investigation Team and Northumberland Hunt Watch, supported by Protect the Wild, recorded conditions at one of the Border Hunt’s kennels in Northumberland.

Investigators found dogs living in squalid and insecure accommodation that provided little protection from the elements, insufficient bedding, the provision of filthy drinking water, and no enrichment.

Despite all this evidence to the contrary, however, hunts would have the public believe that it is the end of hunting which poses the real risk to hound welfare. They are trying to hoodwink people into believing that ending hunting would spell disaster for hounds by arguing that the dogs are difficult to rehome.

It follows, they claim, that most hounds would have to euthanised if hunting were to end.

This is not an original argument.

Animal exploitation, this time hounds

Industries that want to continue exploiting animals in the face of opposition often use this kind of talking point. Take the greyhound industry as an example. In response to a campaign calling for the phasing out of greyhound racing in the UK, the Greyhound Board of Great Britain warned that a racing ban risks the welfare of thousands of dogs.

But for foxhounds, as well as greyhounds, rehoming is an entirely feasible option. Protect the Wild’s Rehome the Hounds campaign makes this abundantly clear, by showcasing rescued foxhounds who are living their best lives in homes.

However, the continued breeding of hounds will mean more of them will need rehoming once the practice ends, putting unnecessary pressure on already burdened rescue centres. So, the responsible thing for hunts to do is immediately end breeding, which is exactly what Protect the Wild is calling for.

Protect the Wild’s founder, Rob Pownall, said:

Rather than being shot dead when deemed surplus to requirements we urge hunts across the country to do two things. Stop the breeding of foxhounds with immediate effect and put in place a proper strategy to ensure these amazing animals can go to appropriate homes, not discarded like trash.

Featured image via the Canary