It’s time to ban hunting with dogs

Its time to ban hunting with dogs

Northern Ireland is the only place in the UK where hunting with dogs is still legal. This includes fox hunting, hare hunting and stag hunting, by both mounted hunts and foot packs. This puts Northern Ireland significantly behind the rest of the UK when it comes to legislating to protect animals from cruelty.

The types of hunting which take place in Northern Ireland perfectly legally include:

• Fox hunting, hare hunting or stag hunting where hunters ride out on horseback or follow on foot with a pack of hounds to track, chase, attack and kill their quarry.
• Terrier work which involves individuals sending terriers underground to ‘flush out’ or force a wild animal to flee before being killed
• Individuals using dogs such as lurchers to chase and kill hares

The good news is, the public overwhelmingly supports a ban on all types of hunting.

• 79% of Northern Irish people think using dogs to hunt deer should be illegal.
• 73% of Northern Irish people think using dogs to hunt foxes should be illegal.
• 76% of Northern Irish people think it should be illegal to use dogs to hunt hares.
• 71% of Northern Irish people think it should be illegal to use dogs to hunt rabbits.

The last attempt to ban this abhorrent pastime failed, but the public is resolute that they want this issue to be brought back to Stormont. 73% of Northern Irish people agree that the Assembly should revisit this issue and introduce legislation which makes hunting with dogs illegal in Northern Ireland.

Polling carried out by Survation on behalf of the League Against Cruel Sports. Fieldwork conducted between 4th - 15th February 2022, sample size of 1,010 of 18+ adults living in Northern Ireland.