Schools urged to let pupils adopt a hound to back hunts
Pro-hunt campaigners have launched a scheme to encourage schools to "adopt" a hound in a bid to popularise the sport ahead of a government vote on the Hunting Act.
Countryside Alliance chiefs issued new advice packs to around 200 hunts with suggestions on how to engage people with hunting.
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A young supporter gets a friendly greeting from the Mid-Devon's hounds
One idea involves hunts persuading teachers to allow the school to "twin" with a hound.
Pupils would receive photographs of the animal and possibly visit the kennels.
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The Alliance said the idea was to educate people about hunting with dogs so they support a repeal of the 2004 Hunting Act that banned fox hunting, due to be voted on in Parliament.
Barney White-Spunner, executive chairman of the Alliance, said hunt supporters had to begin explaining and defending hunting in order for MPs to feel confident to vote for repeal of the Act.
He said: "Welcoming newcomers to hunting, as well as promoting hunting activities to local communities, is vital to the sustainability of hunting. We cannot expect hunting to be top of the Government's priorities at a time like this, but tackling the failed Hunting Act is a matter of trust between the Government and the countryside."
However, the move has sparked outrage amongst wildlife campaigners who branded the Alliance "sick" for getting children involved in the issue.
Alan Kirby, spokesman for Protect Our Wild Animals (POWA) said it was nothing more than a propaganda exercise and claimed children would not be given the full picture.
He said: "Presumably the hunts, if they are decent and honest people they will tell the kiddies how they start culling the hounds they breed very early in their lives, should they have any defect of character or physique that might make them unfit to hunt well with the pack.
"They will want to detail how they intensify this winnowing process when young hounds are first trained to kill wildlife so any disinclined to show the necessary savagery are likely get a bullet in the head."
Mr Kirby said he doubted hunts would inform youngsters how hounds were "disposed of" if they became ill or injured.
He said: "In reality, the dogs are nothing more than disposable tools of the trade to them. Are there no stunts too sick for the killers-for-fun of the bloodsports fraternity to come up with in their desperation to preserve and promote their cruel and barbaric 'sport'?"
Comments
by twain1
Wednesday, October 31 2012, 9:02PM
“Ok. Let's talk about the animals we call OURS as if they've no choice in the matter, no right to an existence without being abused and used.
The paradox of human supremacist means we breed and kill OUR animals by the billion, often in the most dire environment, we label OUR other animals (virtually all OUR wildlife) and kill them by the million. Eating meat and dairy kills man by the million so we torture and kill OUR lab animals by the million in a horror story scenario to find cures for the diseases caused by eating OUR other animals. Then millions die of hunger because their grain is diverted to feed 'livestock' for fat greedy Westerners.
Before we consider an animal in a henhouse we should correct the paradox of the human as the biggest pest and killer, the cancer on Earth.”
by Longdogger
Wednesday, October 31 2012, 8:36PM
“My great uncle would shoot foxes on his farm because if they got in to his chicken shed a fox would literally slaughter every single chicken and not even eat them. He didn't chase the fox on horse back; he would normally stand by a fox run and have a mate the other side of the hedge make a noise to scare the fox. This would give him an easy shot... I'm not saying i'm pro hunt (or anti-hunt!), but I am curious if the anti-hunters are anti-what my great uncle did?
Perhaps give a negative rating if you are anti-shooting foxes too?”
by blond13
Wednesday, October 31 2012, 6:11PM
“Pest control? Sport? What other excuses would you like to use for what is clearly MURDER. Killing for your own personal enjoyment does not make you smart, clever or talented. It makes you selfish, immoral and in most cases, delusional. Justify it whichever way allows you to sleep at night, but do NOT ever think it's okay to impose your proposterous views on the younger, impressionable generation.
@Superhack would much rather have my kids out hunting than stuck in their bedrooms playing violent computer games or drinking on street corners at night. Yes, because that's not a stereotypical argument at all is it. many children spend their spare time doing arts and crafts, playing in the park, building tree houses and the like. None of which involve killing.”
by cheekyman_jr
Wednesday, October 31 2012, 2:11PM
“Lafrowda - why do you think there is such a level of vitriol? Maybe it's because the "countryside" doesn't want this kind of barbarism anymore.
For far too long we've put up with the "moneyed classes" stamping over our lands, doing whatever they want all in the name of sport...and frankly I'd say, WE in the countryside, have had enough.
This attitude hasn't been brought in from the "streets of our major cities", it's been cultured by those who have ignored the views of us "country folk" for too long...but I guess you've just been too arrogant to notice, and too close-minded to think that this "vitriol" could ever have roots in your make believe countryside.”
by kittow2001
Wednesday, October 31 2012, 1:46PM
“Having witnessed a deer disembowel itself on a barbed wire fence, while fleeing from a pack of hounds, I find the whole idea of fox hunting barbaric. Yes, let the kids adopt a hound, the same way one adopts a donkey or a monkey - but not to support this misplaced blood sport.”
by AwrightGuv
Wednesday, October 31 2012, 1:10PM
“Lafrowda
I believe you're confusing "the countryside" with "people who kill animals for fun".”
by Lafrowda
Wednesday, October 31 2012, 11:41AM
“I cant believe the level of vitriol expressed by the anti hunting brigade. It sounds as if we have (we being the countryside) have imported the attitudes found on the streets of our major cities in large numbers.”
by westwardhobod
Wednesday, October 31 2012, 7:51AM
“That dog may well have been licking its private parts and other dogs waste products. Please use paint-ball sites for sport or fun. Leave OUR wildlife alone.”
by twain1
Tuesday, October 30 2012, 11:13PM
“Cambridge Online Dictionary defines blood sport as any sport that involves animals being killed or hurt to make the people watching or taking part feel excitement.
Bloodsports inc.:
Badger-baiting, Bullfighting, Fox hunting, Hare coursing, Dog fighting etc.
Let's consign the 'sports' of psychopaths to the dustbin of history.”
by twain1
Tuesday, October 30 2012, 10:25PM
“Just to throw in some more petrol disclosing the circle of abuse, male calves don't produce milk, they drink it, milk earmarked for humans. So these calves are torn from their mothers (and there's no cry more haunting than a cows for her stolen son) and often get a bullet in the brain at a day or three old.
Often the dead calf ends up as food for hounds such as Beaufort hunt patronised by (IMO) animal abusers such as Charles, Camilla and William. http://tinyurl.com/7z96dvu
Boycott meat and dairy.
Shame the animal abusers.”