Restrictions should apply to hunts as well
I WAS very interested in your item headlined Hunt should abide by rules, says Kathy .
I live in South Devon, but my husband was born and brought up in Exmouth so we often visit East Devon. Our dog accompanies us and we always carry the necessary equipment to clear up after him.
I am anti hunt, but there are also the questions of justice and fairness which seem to be lacking in the rules drawn up by East Devon District Council.
What exactly constitutes a "reasonable excuse" for not complying with the rules? Would a dog owner be excused if he or she had forgotten to bring a plastic bag? Who is qualified to make this judgement?
I have seen, more than once, hunt hounds being decanted from a van into a road prior to a hunt, holding up the traffic and effectively closing the road for considerable time. The hunt officials show supreme and arrogant indifference to the inconvenience caused to other road users.
Hounds have also been known to savage and kill people's pets in and around their own gardens. Would there be reasonable excuse to cover this?
Responsible dog owners should not have to be hampered by restrictions which do not have to be complied with by local and visiting hunts.
This is grossly undemocratic.
Joan Jones
Devon Heath
Chudleigh Knighton
2 Comments
by SKoM, Cullompton
Tuesday, October 13 2009, 11:59AM
“Joan
The hunts are of the view that no rule of law applies to them Whether it be obstructing the highway, not clearing up, not keeping their dogs under control, criminal damage, trespass or, as you mention, being responsible for the deaths of pets and livestock. I think it is all tied into the same reasons that hunts were omitted from the original laws banning blood sports.
I walk my dog in a rural area and I always clear up after her.”
by exasperated, exeter
Tuesday, October 13 2009, 10:24AM
“Get a grip! Hunt hounds are out 2-3 times a week, in laregly rural locations where there is far more than dog waste on the lanes and verges, you ever trodden in fox doings?
Dog walkers, like you and I, are out several times a day, every day in the suburbs and public areas. The responsible ones, like you and I, ensure that we are equipped to clean up after our dogs. It is those who don't give a stuff about other people and walk their dogs with no intention of cleaning up after them, these are the people who are targetted by these new rules.
Quite why the hunt is even mentioned is beyond me!! Talk about a dog with a bone!!”