quick news

• • Hunts stay away from Dorset County Show
  • Kennel cough prevents most packs from attending Devon show
  • Cheshire hunt directors charged
  • Devon hunter charged with illegal fox hunting
  • Northants hunters charged with badger sett interference
  • Yorkshire huntsman charged with assault 
  • Cheshire hunt follower sentenced for Boxing Day assault
  • Cambridge Chief Constable apologises for police failure
  • Stag hunting season begins
  • Mink hunts decreasing
  • Cub hunting season begins early
  • Protect the Wild founder to run around Parliament buildings
  • Boxing Day challenges to begin in September

Top Stories

COUNTRY SHOW

The dropping of the Blackmore & Sparkford Vale Hunt and the Portman Hunt from the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show for their recent convictions under the Hunting Act made national news, and both hunts stayed away. Only two hunts showed in the Ring: the South &West Wilts, and the Wessex Bloodhounds (a clean boot hunt). A Beagle pack appeared outside the gate, and then disappeared. No gallop round appeared at the end. The commentator and the Master of the S&WW used the opportunity to deliver their pro-hunting view to the audience. There was no Health & Safety guidance for the children who ran into the Ring to pet the dogs, and no hand-washing facilities either. For more, see here. 

CUB HUNTING
Hit reports indicate that cub hunting is now in full swing.  The Wynnstay, the United Pack, the Middleton, and the Eggesford have all been seen out in very early hours behaving suspiciously. The Warwickshire Hunt was also dropped by the Dasset Country Show organisers from their event on Saturday 02/08/25.

KENNEL COUGH

Only four hunts, out of the usual 34 packs, attended the West of England Hound Show at The Honiton Show this year. An outbreak of kennel cough meant all packs who had attended a previous show were kept away. AAF attended. There was very little to see.

More News

CHARGES
Two Cheshire Forest Hunt directors, Liz Gorse and Teryl Knowles, have pleaded not guilty to offences under the Animal Welfare Act. A trial date has been set for 3–4 December 2025.

On 12/02/25, one hound was killed by a train on an active railway track. The pack had already badly spooked horses in a nearby field.

Danny Pearce from the Eggesford Hunt has received a caution for wildlife crime. In December 2024, Devon County Hunt Sabs attended a meet and located a dig-out in progress. The terriermen had fled the scene but left behind the remains of a dead fox, a terrier, and nets used to cover sett entrances. The sabs secretly filmed the hunters’ return to retrieve their equipment, and this evidence was later used by the police.

Cottesmore Huntsman Sam Jones and terrierman Max Logan have pleaded not guilty to aiding and abetting the interference of a badger sett on 09/01/25. Their trial at Loughborough Magistrates’ Court has been scheduled for 17–18 September 2025.

The Cottesmore Hunt is therefore facing two trials in September, the other being Huntsman Sam Jones’s case for hunting a wild mammal with dogs, set for 09/09/25.

Jason O’Donnell, Huntsman of the Middleton Hunt, has been charged with common assault and is due to appear at Scarborough Justice Centre on 08/09/25.

SENTENCING
A supporter of the Cheshire Hunt who assaulted a monitor on Boxing Day 2024 has finally been sentenced. The monitor’s body camera provided key evidence.

Reese Murphy Welsh was fined £200, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £80, court costs of £300, and compensation to the victim (amount to be determined). Welsh already has a conviction for animal cruelty and has received a lifetime ban from keeping or being involved in the care or transportation of dogs.

POLICE
The Leicestershire and Rutland PCC, who previously stood under the Conservative banner, has now joined the Reform party. It remains to be seen whether this will affect hunt policing in the area.

North Dorset Hunt Sabs report that on 10/08/25, the Dorset and Somerset Basset hounds were packed up by Avon and Somerset Police.

Their Huntsman is already due in court in November, charged with hunting a hare.

The Daily Telegraph has reported a complaint made by the BHSA (British Hound Sports Association) against Chief Superintendent Matt Longman, the National Police Chief lead on illegal hunting. Meanwhile, despite having claimed they were keeping a close eye on the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt after its conviction for illegal hunting, the BHSA is permitting the transfer of convicted fox-hunter Conall McGrath to the role of huntsman at the Flint and Denbigh Hunt in North Wales.

CUB HUNTING
Hit reports indicate that cub hunting is now in full swing. The Wynnstay, United Pack, Middleton, and Eggesford hunts have all been observed in the early hours, behaving suspiciously.

STAGS
The Devon and Somerset Staghounds killed a stag by 9am on the first meet of their season (02/08/25). Sabs were unable to save the animal but may have prevented the public dismemberment ritual.

On 09/08/25, the Devon and Somerset Staghounds killed another stag after a five-hour chase. Footage shows riders pursuing several herds to select a stag. It is understood this incident may be under police investigation.

Mendip Hunt Sabs report that the Quantock Staghounds pursued a one-antlered deer for five hours. The animal eventually escaped.

The Devon and Somerset Staghounds also killed on 16/08/25, an exceptionally hot day, after many hours of pursuit. According to North Dorset Hunt Sabs, the stag “without doubt went through hell and died with his body temperature soaring, being unable to lose body heat” — a state the hunters reportedly callously term as “cooked.”

HARES
A large police operation across several counties has resulted in 25 people being charged with 39 offences relating to hare coursing and violent disorder in the Cambridge area on 25/01/25.

At the time, Chief Constable Nick Dean apologised for what he described as a police “failure” to deal with rural crime. We hope this commitment extends to tackling other forms of illegal hunting.

MINK
The Hunt Saboteurs Association has commented on the diminishing number of mink (and/or otter) hunts. In the mid-1980s, there were around 20 mink hunts nationwide; today, only about half — or fewer — survive.

PROTECT THE WILD
Protect the Wild’s Rob Pownall is raising money by walking around Parliament for 24 hours on 1st September. AAF has worked closely with PtW in the past. If you would like to support his fundraising effort, here is the link:
https://donorbox.org/24hoursforwildlife

CAMPAIGNS
It appears that Abbotsbury Swannery does not allow paying visitors to be accompanied by dogs, including assistance dogs, yet permits the Cattistock Hunt to operate on land owned and managed by the Swannery Trust. If you’d like to support the campaign to revoke the Swannery’s charitable status, here is the petition:
https://chng.it/7NHtBNdv89

AAF is following up on the poor behaviour witnessed at the Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show — watch this space.

We will also be charging up our Boxing Day/New Year’s Day campaigns again as autumn approaches. Info for action can be found here:
https://www.actionagainstfoxhunting.org/how-to-stop-boxing-day-and-new-years-day-meets/