Undercover investigation from HIT, supported by Keep The Ban exposes Beaufort Hunt shooting several hounds dead. Trail hunting is a front for illegal fox hunting activity, with thousands of dogs killed every year. There is no benefit from this "sport" that justifies this wanton brutality and certainly not on public land. Not to mention the people, pets, livestock and wildlife that suffer at the mercy of the delusion that trail hunting has any place in a modern society.
"Please take action. We are calling for every person watching this to sign our open letter, calling on the National Trust to permanently end all hunting licenses. Together, we can and we will, end fox hunting for good"
Warning: Graphic Footage of dogs being shot.
"Dear Hilary McGrady, This week following an undercover investigation carried out by the Hunt Investigation Team, supported by Keep The Ban, harrowing footage was released showing the Duke of Beaufort Hunt shooting dead four of their hounds. The images show members of the hunt firing bullets into the heads of these poor animals deemed no longer suitable for hunting purposes. The footage secured from the investigation is the first time that a hunt has ever been caught on camera shooting their hounds, but this is not to say the incident is a one-off. Although it may be the first time they’ve been caught out, hunts across the country routinely kill their hounds before the start of each hunting season. It is estimated that up to 7,000 hounds are unnecessarily killed by hunts every year and very few make it past the age of five or six despite having a life expectancy of around fourteen. The hound shooting exposé has provided yet more irrefutable evidence that hunts across the country do not "trail hunt" as they claim. However, the Beaufort Hunt alongside many others were given licences to conduct so-called ‘trail hunting’ on National Trust land. As of right now, these licences have quite rightly been suspended by several major landowners including the National Trust and we welcomed this decision. Keep The Ban has been campaigning for the National Trust to permanently end these permissions since 2017 and now more than ever the “trail hunt” lies have been well and truly exposed. If evidence of chasing and killing wildlife, use of terrier men, artificial earths, destruction of badger setts, assaults on monitors, invading private properties, and attacking domestic animals wasn’t enough, now we are confronted with sickening footage of a previously licenced hunt firing bullets into their hounds and carting them away as if they’re garbage. Two of the hounds can still be seen moving after the first shot and both are then shot again for good measure. This isn’t right. This isn’t normal. This isn’t the sort of behaviour that the National Trust should be condoning. It is about time the National Trust stood up to the hunts and permanently ended the charade that is trail hunting. We the undersigned ask that all trail hunt licenses are permanently ended with immediate effect. We ask that the board of trustees vote FOR the trail hunting resolution at this year's AGM. Together we can and we will end the suffering of British wildlife at the hands of so-called “trail hunts” and put an end to this madness for good Robert Pownall - FOUNDER KEEP THE BAN Chris Packham, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Peter Egan, Dr Amir Khan"
Sign the Open Letter to the National Trust to END Hunting Licenses:
