Yes, I already have done and will continue to do so. I'm not going to keep them on lead wherever there may be squirrells!

But anyway, thats besides the point, I was trying to highlight that these things do happen, I wasnt pleased with the dogs doing that, they dont make a habit out of it. But accidents do happen.

Thats the point...it happens probably on a daily basis but isnt always publicised.

If my dogs killed a cat then I would be very sorry for it happening of course...but it wouldnt stop me exercising my dogs.

I am not arguing that the cat being killed wasnt wrong or that the dogs werent out of control...I just dont like people that use any excuse to shout loud how hunting is wrong etc etc.

Yes they took the hounds out on a planned hunt, but it wasnt planned for them to kill a domestic animal. Just the same as when I walked my dogs I didnt plan on them hunting down and killing a squirrel.

Believe it or not but huntsmen and hunt supporters are not any less upset about the hounds killing a domestic animal than the average pet owner.

I really dont understand how some folk think it is credible to compare one man walking his dog in an negligent and thoughtless way, the consequences of which it breaks into someone's garden and harms a pet, to the preplanned event of taking a 40 odd pack of trained hunt dogs on a deliberate 'hunt', whereby the masters will be informed and aware, the consequences of which a number of dogs break into someone's garden and harm of someone else's pet.

What if the Isle of Man TT race organised a race whereby dozens of motorbikes ran a race around, throughout, and within your village or town and vehicles crashed into people's gardens killing their pets?
Would you then be:
a) Full of anger that an "organised event" is isnt organised enough that it puts in place, procedures, and regulations that aim to avoid intrusion into private and unsafe areas?
b) Justify the event 'as is' on the basis that any Tom, Dick, and Harry driving thru your village could be lax and cash thru your hedge?

Somehow how i think the vast majority of sane and reasonable people would opt for a), even if they were big fans of motorbike racing.

And no, dont come back and tell me the analogy doesnt fit, and it damn well does. The analogy of comparing an organised hunt to the activities of some lone numpty is the one that is incredulous.
Besides which, the lone numpty causing harm isnt some sort of rationale for the organised hunt, it just means the are the same sort of people, numpties that put their own convenience before other people's rights, lives, or pets.

Thats the point...it happens probably on a daily basis but isnt always publicised.

If my dogs killed a cat then I would be very sorry for it happening of course...but it wouldnt stop me exercising my dogs.

I am not arguing that the cat being killed wasnt wrong or that the dogs werent out of control...I just dont like people that use any excuse to shout loud how hunting is wrong etc etc.