I dont condone any of this & neither would any genuine sab.

Its the hunts that treat their hounds appalingly, destroyed if they fail to make the grade, destroyed if theyre sick & when they retire, at around 5-7!!

Its disgusting, im shocked some so called dog lovers arent outraged by this?

Clifford Pellow was a professional Huntsman until 1990, heres his account of how hounds are treated...

Dogs past their prime (generally, older than five or six years) are also killed. Altogether, says Pellow, out of a pack of 60 animals, eight to ten are disposed of every season.

How does a dog fail his or her master? There are many ways: A hound that won't draw (search for a fox) when a fox goes into covert but sits outside waiting for somebody else to do it, he's no good to anyone. Nor is the hound that won't speak (bark) - because there's no point a hound finding a fox if it won't tell you about it. Or you might have a hound that speaks at everything that moves - at a blackbird flying into a tree. Babbling it's called


Many of the injuries to the dogs are dealt with by the hunt servants. 'We consider ourselves, somewhat, as veterinary surgeons, which of course we aren't. We don't have the competence or the equipment, such as local anaesthetic. Yet, I myself have stitched a hound with ordinary needle and cotton. She was called Tablet and you could see the fleshy part of her ribs underneath a barbed wire tear. Happily, she made a good recovery and the vet congratulated me on a good job'.

On another occasion, he used a razor blade to sever a toe that had been dangling by the cord through much of an active day's hunting. ‘I think it was then she felt it, for she gave out with a yelp. I washed, bandaged and put some cream on it and she was out again in a fortnight.'

Training the younger hounds and rebuking older ones for loss of concentration is also a bruising business. To scold a pup, the servant seizes the culprit and strikes him with the handle of the whip across the ribs - firmly enough, says Pellow, to raise a row of bumps. At the same time, the youngster is verbally reprimanded. An older dog who, say, shows interest in a sheep, will feel the whip's leash. 'And I can tell you, I've had a whip around me a couple of times, that it does smart a bit.’

oh yes the hunts love their animals

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New born lambs are a common target for foxes and there is no way on earth you can secure fields from them-end of. I know you're gonna probably mention Llamas etc,but they're just another mouth to feed for a farmer who is already screwed over price wise.

Foxes benefitting agriculture? Maybe if they stuck to rabbit,but they dont and never will.

Alpaca actually

Official figures show foxes take less than 1 per cent of lambs - and those they do take are likely to be already ailing. The high losses are due to exploitation and neglect by farmers themselves.

Some four million newborn lambs - about one in five of the total - die every year within a few days of birth, mostly from disease, exposure, or malnutrition. (Henderson, Lamb Survival, Farming Press). And about a million adult breeding animals (out of about 17.5 million) also die in the fields annually

http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/CAMP...anism/ALL/501/
The impact of foxes on agriculture is a controversial issue. In general, farmers perceive any predator as a pest because of losses suffered by their livestock. However, several studies on the economic role of foxes have highlighted some interesting findings which are explored in detail in this section on foxes and agriculture.

Each year, rabbits cause an estimated £120 million of damage to agriculture in Britain. Foxes cause an estimated £12 million of damage but this needs to be put in perspective, because rabbits are the main prey of foxes in rural areas. By eating rabbits, foxes provide an indirect economic benefit to farmers of at least £7 million annually. Because fox benefits offset their costs, foxes are probably economically neutral to farmers.

Research on lamb, poultry and piglets shows that losses to foxes are, in general, low and that simple measure to improve husbandry may effectively reduce predation.

Sadly the "genuine" ones must now be few and far between

They are not pets, they are working animals. They dont make excuses nor hide the facts of it. This is not new at all, everyone knows it. Not sure why you would think they they are treated as pets in the home would be, if you know as much as you claim to.

Why? Some people accept people for what they are and dont feel they need to try to "change" them. Knowing whats involved with any sport, passtime etc.. is what its all about. You can choose to accept it or walk away.

Again, this is very well known fact. Beats the thousands killed every day in strays kennels doesnt it!!

All this must be at least 15yrs old? Why are you consistently dragging up old news? Its all well known. Im just confused as why you feel its relevant to an idiot who grabs a wild animal that was in the middle of a pack of dogs!! Crazy!

Im sure they do in their way. Not like we would our pets of course, but the Fox Hound is not a pet!

I agree with x clo x

Its not just foxes which predate on new born lambs-crows like to peck their eyes out (its the softest and most vunerable part and yes i shoot these too). Lambs do die in the fields and sometimes for no good reason which is unfortunate,but this will always happen.Despite what you think farmers do look after their animals so neglect dont come into it because its their living it effects when things go t*ts up.

ah Dawn you and I are poles apart when it comes to animal welfare issues lol. I condemn anyone who threats hounds inhumanely... you on the other hand only condemn one set....I wont even go into our differences wildlife issues!


By the way, Hounds can make Great pets, given the chance , i knew someone who had a rescued foxhound & a lady on another forum i frequent lol, has 2 rescues!


I dont think they can be anymore of a challenge than my Siberians.

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Not according to DEFRA statistics.

we've kept all ours into old age. they live with the main huntsman at his house and then the whipper in owns 6 of them. we lost two of our oldie last year. if they havent moved onto another hunt while they are younger they stay put, and retire with the people theyve always lived with. (even though ive already claimed one of ours when she's an oldie )

dont even get me started on human population and keeping their numbers in control! i have views on that too whole other debate!