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Campaigners have long warned foxes are still torn to shreds by dogs during the hunts, while the national police lead on illegal hunting says they are often a smokescreen for illegal fox hunting
The Government is set to ban trail hunting, which has sparked a furious response from the Tories and Reform UK.
Campaigners have long warned foxes are still often torn to shreds by dogs during the hunts, while the national police lead on illegal hunting, Devon and Cornwall’s assistant Chief Constable, Matt Longman, say it is often used as “a smokescreen” for illegal fox hunting. Now the Government is set to deliver on a ban, expected within this parliament, which comes as part of its animal welfare strategy set to be published on Monday.
Trail hunting sees a scent laid out for the hunt to follow rather than a real animal, and was introduced as a replacement for fox hunting, which was banned by Labour in 2004. It forms part of the animal welfare strategy, published this week, which also includes banning snare traps and introducing a closed hunting season for hares.
READ MORE: Boxing day hunts to be thing of the past with trail hunting set to be bannedREAD MORE: Cruel puppy farming that keeps breeding dogs in dire conditions to be banned
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The Tories and Reform UK have hit out over the move, with Nigel Farage, who often joins Boxing Day hunts, calling ministers “authoritarian control freaks” over the policy, while the Conservatives said the move “is yet another assault on the rural way of life”.
Downing Street rejected the idea the Government was “control freaks”, with the PM’s spokesman saying: “I reject that completely. On the central point of the announcement, we are meeting our manifesto commitment and setting out how we’re doing that.”
Campaigners have hailed Labour’s landmark Animal Welfare Strategy – including the ban on trail hunting – but have raised concerns over a lack of deadlines to introduce the changes.
The animal welfare strategy, launched on Monday, also includes plans to crack down on puppy smuggling, and ban electric shock collars for pets.
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said the UK was “a nation of animal lovers” and claimed the Government is “delivering the most ambitious animal welfare strategy in a generation”.
She added: “Visiting Battersea Dogs and Cats Home reminded me that millions of families welcome pets into their homes every year. Our strategy will raise welfare standards for animals in the home, on the farm and in the wild.
“We’ve already acted to improve zoo standards, end puppy smuggling and protect livestock from dog attacks. Now we’re planning to ban caged hens, cruel snares, trail hunting, and curb low welfare dog breeding.”
Thomas Schultz-Jagow, director of advocacy and prevention at the RSPCA, said: “The Government’s new animal welfare strategy is a significant step forward which has the potential to improve the lives of millions of animals.
“People in the UK love animals and they want to see governments leading the way to outlaw cruel practices which cause suffering such as a phase-out of cages for laying hens and farrowing crates for pigs.
“As we need a radical rethink about the way we see and treat animals in this country, this strategy leads the way by showing a strong commitment to animal welfare.
“We look forward to continuing to work with the Government to give all animals the protection they deserve.”
