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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Jon Hebditch

Sickening video shows packs of dogs fox hunting 'for fun' in Scotland

'Stomach churning' video footage has been released showing fox hunts continuing in Scotland.

Charity bosses at the League Against Cruel Sports Scotland shared the video which shows packs of dogs chasing after the creatures around the countryside.

Horns blow as the animals race after the terrified foxes.

Dogs close in on the fox (Handout)

It is unclear where the footage was taken but the League has released it ahead of the start of this year's season.

The charity says the footage proves "that this is not simply about pest control as the hunters argue, but about killing foxes for fun."

Robbie Marsland, Director of the League Against Cruel Sports, Scotland said: “These three incidents are stomach churning evidence, provided by the hunts themselves, of the brutality at the heart of Scottish fox hunting.

"For years the Countryside Alliance has tried to smear the League by saying that our videos of packs of hounds chasing foxes are fake.

"Now we have footage filmed by the hunt supporters themselves which completely backs up our own films. I don’t know which is worse - the sight of a fox being pursued by a pack of fox hounds or the obvious enjoyment of those egging the dogs on.”

Last year the Scottish Government announced plans to bring forward a Bill to strengthen the existing law on fox hunting.

They included measures to reduce the number of hounds from a full pack to two but in addition, introduce a licensing system to allow hunts to use a full pack in exceptional circumstances.

These circumstances are expected to include foot packs, hunting in rough terrain.

Robbie Marsland added:  "These scenes graphically show why the Government is, without doubt, right to make it illegal to allow packs of hounds in the Scottish countryside. They also reveal that foot packs, without mounted riders, appear to be just as venal as those on horseback.  

"Now their own footage has emerged, any suggestion that licenses could be given to foot packs to use more than two dogs is clearly laughable.”

The Scottish Government Bill on fox hunting was among a raft of Bills postponed earlier this year due to Covid-19 but is expected to be brought forward after the 2021 elections. 

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