Trail hunting to be banned as part of new animal welfare strategy

"Trail hunting is set to be banned in England and Wales as part of a new animal welfare strategy to be published by the government on Monday. The practice sees an animal-based scent trail laid for dogs to follow rather than a real animal, while a group of hunters follows the pack on horseback. It has remained legal since the 2004 hunting ban came into force, because it does not explicitly involve the killing of animals."

"In April, anti-hunting group the League Against Cruel Sports said that nearly 1,600 incidents, including 397 reports of foxes being chased, were recorded nationwide during the last hunting season. The chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, Tim Bonner, said revisiting the issue of trail hunting was 'completely unnecessary'. He said: 'It is unbelievable that the government wants to waste more parliamentary time on hunting.'"

Trail hunting will be banned in England and Wales as part of a new animal welfare strategy. Trail hunting uses animal-based scent trails for hounds while hunters follow on horseback and has remained legal after the 2004 Hunting Act because it does not explicitly involve killing. The government says the practice is being used as a smokescreen for hunting wild animals. The League Against Cruel Sports recorded nearly 1,600 incidents last season, including 397 reports of foxes being chased. The Countryside Alliance opposes revisiting the issue and warns of rural constituent backlash.

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