Bring the annual Boxing Day hunts to an end.

The League Against Cruel Sports (the League) and Ulster Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (USPCA) today called for this to be the last of the annual Boxing Day hunts.

Already illegal in England, Wales and Scotland, Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK where it’s still legal to hunt mammals for sport.

Speaking ahead of the annual Boxing Day animal cruelty hunt, USPCA Chief Executive Nora Smith said:

“Each year across Northern Ireland there is an annual display of wanton animal cruelty, with participants chasing foxes through fields and beyond.  The impact this has upon these helpless animals, who are chased, must be something which is confined to the history books.

USPCA joined Together with the League Against Cruel Sports in March to ban hunting with dogs.  Our polling has shown that over 70% of people across all age groups and all parts of Northern Ireland want this terrible form of animal cruelty to end.

Since the launch of our Together Campaign, we have taken our message to ban hunting with dogs to politicians supported by the public.  Our online petition has received almost 8,000 signatures and is growing daily. 

We are encouraged by the support for our message and look forward to the proposed Private Members Bill in the NI Assembly.”

Robbie Marsland from the League said:

“It is 20 years since the Hunting Act was introduced to ban fox hunting in England and Wales, with Scotland recently taking steps to strengthen and improve their legislation.  Northern Ireland has an opportunity to end this suffering.

Chasing and killing mammals with dogs has no place in today’s society. We are asking everyone to ask their local politicians to support this Bill. Please let them know that the cruel and wanton killing of wild animals must end.  

Most people we speak to think that hunting with dogs is already illegal in Northern Ireland – now’s the time to make that a reality.

We’ve had really encouraging conversations with many MLAs, political parties and members of the public, and we are optimistic that there will be a majority in support of the Bill when it comes before the Assembly.

Together we can make this the last annual Boxing Day of animal cruelty.”

The Together Campaign is asking people to take some simple steps for change

  1. Sign the petition - https://takeaction.league.org.uk/page/144213/petition/1
  2. Tell people you have signed the petition, especially politicians
  3. Ask people to sign the petition - ask family, friends, neighbours, colleagues, and school mates “have you signed yet?”
  4. Follow the campaign for change

Notes to editor

  • Polling was conducted by LucidTalk Limited on 9th to 11th February with 1050 respondents.
  • Hunting with animals was banned in England and Wales through the Hunting Act 2004
  • Traditional fox hunting and hare coursing was banned in Scotland through the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002.  This Act was repealed in 2023 and replaced with the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) 2023.  Under this Act:
    • It will still be an offence to hunt a wild mammal using a dog except in limited circumstances. For example, hunting with dogs may be allowed to prevent the spread of disease or to protect other animals if the activity meets the requirements in the Bill about how it is done.
    • However, it will always be illegal to chase and kill a wild mammal using a dog. 
    • Where hunting is allowed, the Act introduces new limits on the number of dogs that can be used.
    • In some circumstances, people may be able to get a licence to use more dogs.
    • The Act also bans trail hunting except in limited circumstances. Trail hunting is when a dog is used to find and follow an animal-based scent.
  • The League and USPCA have prepared a rebuttal document, answering many of the myths around the positives of hunting with animals, which is available on request.
  • For further information please contact grace@stratagem-ni.com

 

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