End hunting with dogs in Northern Ireland
As part of the Together campaign, League Against Cruel Sports has joined forces with the USPCA to bring the barbaric activity of hunting with dogs to an end
Northern Ireland remains the only part of the UK where hunting with dogs remains legal. England, Wales, and Scotland already have bans in place, and Northern Ireland is lagging behind.
Almost half of the people in Northern Ireland think hunting with dogs is illegal. When they realise that it isn’t, between seven and eight out of ten people say it should be"
Ulster Society for the Prevention Cruelty to Animals (USPCA)
According to a recent opinion poll conducted in February 2024, almost half of the people in Northern Ireland think hunting with dogs is illegal. When they realise that it isn’t, between seven and eight out of ten people say it should be.
call for a ban
It is clear, the public wants to protect nature, not attack it.
Hunting dogs will kill any companion animal they come across, and hunt members simply shrug off these incidents as ‘collateral casualties’. Tame deer are ‘carted’ into the countryside and released to be persecuted by dogs - an activity that is already illegal.
The farming community is surviving in economically challenging times; disease control in animals and crops is a priority. Many farmers, acutely aware of the need for bio-security, are less than happy with hunts trespassing on their property and have banned them from their land.
Hunt supporters are opposed to a ban on hunting with dogs, claiming it is a ‘countryside tradition’ and pest control. These thin veils disguise the cruel reality of the ‘sport’. There is a small section of the Northern Irish community who enjoy hunting and killing wild animals with dogs as a source of entertainment. Its legality also provides a cover for those engaged in the illegal killing of badgers, otherwise known as badger baiting.
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There are two types of hunting with dogs: ‘red coats’ on horseback with their hounds, and terrier men, people (mainly men) on foot with terrier-type dogs who hunt foxes and other wildlife.
We want to see both types of hunts banned in Northern Ireland.
In January 2023, Scotland enhanced their legislation to close the loopholes to bring this cruel practice to an end. Stormont has an opportunity to learn from Scotland and develop robust legislation, leading the way to consigning bringing this barbaric ‘sport’ to history.
Add your voice to call for a ban on hunting with dogs.