Speak Out Against Illegal Fox Hunting in the U.K.

In the United Kingdom, hunting wild mammals with packs of dogs has technically been banned for over two decades. Scotland outlawed the practice in 2002 under the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act, and England and Wales followed suit with The Hunting Act 2004, which took effect in 2005.

These laws should have put an end to the brutal bloodsport of fox hunting—but they didn’t.

Due to legal loopholes and weak enforcement, foxes are still being chased, cornered, and ripped apart by packs of hounds across the countryside. One of the most blatant ways hunters evade the law is by claiming they are engaged in “trail hunting.”

Trail hunting was devised by hunters after the ban as a supposed cruelty-free alternative, where hounds follow an artificially laid scent trail rather than a live animal. But in reality, it’s a calculated smokescreen. Leaked webinars from the Hunting Office, the U.K.’s governing body for hunting, revealed in 2020 that trail hunting is deliberately used to disguise illegal hunting. Scent trails are often laid only when police or monitors are present. Meanwhile, hunts continue exactly as they did before the ban.

Foxes endure unimaginable suffering during these hunts. They are chased for miles until exhausted, cornered, and then torn apart by packs of dogs while still alive. In 2022, a baby fox was caught on video being ripped to pieces by hounds as hunters on horseback stood by and did nothing to intervene. This cruelty continues in part because many of those who participate are wealthy and well-connected, making enforcement inconsistent and accountability rare. Their social status has allowed them to act with impunity for far too long — but no one is above the law, and those who engage in this illegal violence must be held accountable.

This is not tradition—it’s torture.

And the cruelty doesn't stop with the foxes. The dogs used in these hunts often live in harsh, overcrowded conditions. If they are injured, become ill, or simply grow too old to keep up, they are frequently discarded or killed. These hounds are not treated as cherished companions but as disposable tools in a violent bloodsport.

Scotland took a powerful step forward in 2023 by passing the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act, which outlawed trail hunting altogether. Now it’s time for England and Wales to follow suit. The Labour government is currently reviewing the issue, and with enough public pressure, we have a real chance to finally close the loopholes and ban trail hunting for good.

Take Action Now

Please join Species Unite in demanding that the U.K. government do the right thing by putting an end to cruel fox hunting once and for all.