Domestic Animal Attacks by Hunts
Quote : “I’ve no evidence of fox hounds killing cats. There is no way fox hounds are a danger to family pets.” John Haigh, Public Relations Officer, British Field Sports Society
Quote : “It would be unusual for hounds to target a cat because they were trained to chase only foxes”, Anne Jepson, secretary of the South Notts Hunt How wrong can two people be |
The list below is far from comprehensive. Many incidents go unreported or unrecorded by police.
Please note : Where the date of the actual incident is unknown, the date of the newspaper article or date reported to police has been listed instead.
06 March 2021 : Footage shows moment man throws body of pet cat over fence after hound attack
Area : Madron, West Cornwall
Hunt : Western Hunt Foxhounds
Video footage has been captured of the moment a huntsman (whipper-in, Edward Sampson) threw the body of a pet cat over a fence in West Cornwall. The black cat, called Mini, had been in her front garden in a usually quiet street when she was mauled by a pack of hounds while out on hound exercise.
In the video, the hounds can be seen attacking the beloved pet, before they run off.
A man can then be seen running over to Mini’s body, picking it up and throwing it over the fence of a neighbour’s garden. The footage was captured by a neighbour, just across the street from the house in which Mini lived.
29 December 2020 : Hunt apologies after hounds kill cat in garden
Area : Bakewell, Derbyshire
Hunt : High Peak Harriers
A hunt has apologised unreservedly after its hounds killed a much-loved pet cat as they “ran out of control”. One hound snatched the terrified animal from under a car in a private garden and shook her like a rag doll.
24 December 2020 : kitten was ‘ripped to pieces’ during an ‘illegal fox hunt
Area : Scarcroft, West Yorkshire
Hunt : Bramham Hunt
A seven-month-old kitten was allegedly ‘ripped to pieces’ during an ‘illegal fox hunt’ on Christmas Eve. Bits of fur were all that was left of a ginger and white cat named Tiger after he was attacked by hounds from The Bramham Hunt in a ‘barbaric’ incident in Scarcroft, West Yorkshire.
16 November 2020 : Owner thought his dog would be ripped apart
Area : Cury, Cornwall
Hunt : Cury Hunt
A dog owner, Jessica Palmer spoke of her horrific ordeal after her beloved whippet Bear was chased for miles by hounds belonging to the Cury Hunt. She said: “Yesterday our amazing dog Bear and I were attacked by over 30 hounds when irresponsible owners at the Cury Hunt Cornwall had no control of their hounds.”
04 November 2020 : Calf being chased by hunting hounds
Area : Broxtowe, Nottinghamshire
Hunt : High Peak Harriers
Shocking footage shows a terrified calf ‘running for its life’ and jumping over walls while being chased through a farmer’s field by a pack of hunt hounds from the High Peak Hunt.
01 October 2020 : Hunt hounds ‘invade kennels and cattery, killing owner’s pet
Area : Burnhope, Co Durham
Hunt : Braes of Derwent
The Braes of Derwent hunt was accused of allowing its hounds to run uncontrolled through the kennel grounds, frightening small dogs and the owner’s tabby cat, which has not been seen since.
Tracey Hobbs, owner of the Tendercare boarding kennels and cattery at Burnhope, Co Durham, said there was no sign of any riders to control the hounds.
18 February 2020 : Deer mauled by hunting hounds
Area : Frostenden, Suffolk
Hunt : Waveney Harriers
Hounds from the Waveney Harriers were videoed chasing and mauling a deer. It was shot on Tuesday 18 February in Frostenden by a hunt monitor who was watching The Waveney Harriers, who regularly hunt in North Suffolk and South Norfolk.
26 June 2019 : Police advised victim of a hunt dog attack not to go to the press about it
Area : Isle of Wight
Hunt : Isle of Wight Hunt
A woman from the Isle of Wight said she was attacked by a dog linked to a local hunt. When she reported it to the police, her husband claimed the police told them not to go to the press about it. The Isle of Wight Hunt said it “apologised unreservedly” for the attack.
09 March 2019 : Hunting Hounds Maul Lamb
Area : Roston, Derbyshire
Hunt : Meynell & South Staffs Hunt
A pack of the hunting hounds which were part of a Meynell & South Staffs Hunt in Roston, Derbyshire, jumped into a field of sheep and pursued the flock which ran for their lives. The lamb survived the attack but needed treatment for nasty puncture wounds it had suffered.
21 December 2018 : Alpacas ‘viciously attacked’ by hunt hounds
Area : Langley, Derbyshire
Hunt : Meynell & South Staffs Hunt
Hunt hounds from the Meynell and South Staffordshire Hunt “viciously attacked” a herd of alpacas, leaving one so badly “ripped apart” she had to be put down, prompting a police investigation. Langley Alpacas in Derbyshire said another of its animals was recovering from numerous wounds he suffered in the attack.
18 November 2018 : Cat is mauled to death by hounds
Area : Newcestown, West Cork
Hunt : Unknown
A family was devastated after their beloved pet cat was mauled to death by a pack of hounds near Newcestown. The cat, which its owners had since it was a kitten, was savagely killed by the hunting hounds as they passed through a nearby farmyard in Mossgrove last Sunday week while hunting.
13 March 2018 : Staffordshire cat ‘mauled to death’ by hunting hound
Area : Norbury, Staffordshire
Hunt : Albrighton & Woodland Hunt
A cat has been “mauled to death” by a hunting hound in its owner’s back garden.
The Albrighton and Woodland Hunt said one of its dogs fatally injured the pet and it was investigating the attack.
03 February 2018 : Hunting hounds terrify pregnant alpacas
Area : Buntingford, Hertfordshire
Hunt : Puckeridge Hunt
Farm owner told us “We were invaded by a whole pack of hounds that were totally out of control”. Hounds crawled under and leapt over a four-foot fence and thundered through the farm, running through a group of 24 pregnant alpacas.
09 January 2018 : Hunting hounds tear through cat sanctuary, leaving dozens of rescue animals ‘traumatised’ and missing
Area : Hastings (Animal Sanctuary), Sussex
Hunt : East Sussex & Romney Marsh Hunt
A whole pack of hunting hounds in pursuit of both a fox and deer thundered through an animal Celia Hammond Cat Sanctuary, displacing more than 60 terrified animals. The charity sanctuary in Hastings, Sussex, is still missing many of its animals that are believed to have fled into nearby woods to escape the hunt.
13 July 2017 : Out of control hounds attack pet dog
Area : Mendips, Somerset
Hunt : Mendip Farmers Hunt
Pet rescue dogs, Monty and Alfie, were out walking in the Mendips with their owner at around 8.00am on Thursday, July 13th, when they were allegedly attacked by hunting hounds belonging to the Mendip Farmers Hunt.
19 January 2017 : Cat’s face torn apart by hunting dog
Area : Newbridge, Cornwall
Hunt : Western Hunt Foxhounds
Tash Tozer-Martin claims that her cat had a massive wound on its cheek and needed surgery after infection set in. She says that she returned home to Newbridge, Cornwall following a shopping trip. And she found the cat “shaking like a leaf”:
He was all blown up, hissing and spitting. I opened my back door to find a fox hound at the door. I battled with the dog and managed to get it away. It took several minutes to get the dog off my property and it made several attempts to bite me.
According to Tozer-Martin, the cat “lost his entire cheek”. She also said that it was “still bald on his face” and that the “dog’s tooth went straight through his cheek and infection set in”.
15 January 2017 : Hounds attack pet dog and couple on beach
Area : Gunwalloe Beach, Cornwall
Hunt : Cury Hunt
Horrified onlookers watch on as a pack of hounds ‘attack’ a pet dog and its owners on Cornwall beach. The hunt claimed they took their horses and hounds down to the beach for a splash around in the water in the middle of winter.
01 December 2013 : Family distraught after pet attacked by hounds
Area : Ashford, Co Wicklow
Hunt : Bray Harriers Club
A family in Ashford, Co Wicklow say they’ve been left shocked after their pet dog was attacked by a pack of hunting hounds
08 December 2011 : Hounds kill 18yo pet cat
Area : Ravenscar, Scarborough
Hunt : Staintondale & Goatland Hunts
Family cat savaged to death by 27 hunt hounds then handed back in dog food bag by hunt.
18 March 2010 : Hunt pack savages family pet dog
Area : Newry, N.Ireland
Hunt : Newry Harriers
Newry Harriers hounds ripped a family’s pet dog apart in front of two young cousins.
19 February 2009 : Aging pet cat ripped apart
Area : Sennen, Cornwall
Hunt : Western Hunt Foxhounds
Molly a 15yo pet cat belonging to Amanda Richardson had been ripped apart by hunting dogs from the Western Hunt in her own back garden. About 12 dogs had broken off from the main pack and rampaged through the Crean Bottoms area. Master of the Western Hunt, Ben Sparrow, said he went round to Ms Richardsons house and apologised.
03 February 2007 : Newry Harriers Kill Pet Cats
Area : South Armagh, N.Ireland
Hunt : Newry Harriers
Animal cruelty campaigners have expressed their shock after hounds ripped two domestic cats to pieces as a hunt trespassed on private land in south Armagh.
28 September 2006 : Derbyshire hunt kill pet cat
Area : Sheldon, Derbyshire
Hunt : High Peak Hunt
40 Rioting hounds from the High Peak Hunt in Derbyshire chased and killed a pet cat through the village of Sheldon near Bakewell.
23 August 2006 : Hush money offer after Tiverton Staghounds kill terrier
Area : East Worlington, Devon
Hunt : Tiverton Staghounds
Magistrate Catherine Hodgson used her body as a human shield against two staghounds as they ripped apart her pet dog in a horrific attack.
17 February 2006 : Modbury Harriers Kill Pet llama
Area : Aveton Gifford, South Devon
Hunt : Modbury Harriers
A pet llama from south Devon has died after being frightened by hounds from the local hunt. A vet was called after hounds from the Modbury Harriers frightened the llama which died later of a heart attack.
10 December 2005 : East Cornwall Hunt Kill Pet Goat
Area : Roseland, Cornwall
Hunt : East Cornwall Hunt
26 Marauding hunt hounds ran amok in a private garden and savaged to death an adored pet pygmy goat called Flopsy. Now goat’s owners, who said the dogs had “no right” to be on their land, may sue the hunt.
21 March 2005 : Iveagh Hunt Savage Pet Cat
Area : Lurgan
Hunt : Iveagh Hunt
Hounds taking part in a St Patrick’s Day hunt in Lurgan viciously mauled an eight-year-old girl’s beloved cat to death.
27 December 2004 : South Notts Hunt Kill Pet Cat
Area : Horsley Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire
Hunt : South Notts Hunt
A couple who found their cat dead after a hunt passed next to their land claim he was ripped to pieces by hounds. Only his tail and back legs were recovered and fur was dotted around the area.
09 January 2004 : West Somerset Vale Hunt Kill Pet Cat
Area : Somerset
Hunt : West Somerset Vale Hunt
A family saw a pack of hounds savage their pet cat in their own garden. Jennifer Kervell and her two daughters were preparing lunch when about 30 hounds entered their garden and attacked the four-year-old cat, Holly.
13 January 2000 : Woman and Cats Besieged by Hounds
Area : Tarporley, Cheshire
Hunt : Cheshire Hunt
A women last night spoke of how she had to barricade herself in her home as snaring hounds from the Cheshire Hunt attempted to fight their way in through a cat-flap.
08 March 1999 : Middleton Hunt killed my pet cat
Area : Little Kelk, near Driffield
Hunt : Middleton Hunt
A distraught cat owner claims she watched in horror as her pet was savaged to death by dogs from the Middleton Hunt.
26 December 1998 : Hunt ‘sorry’ for cat mauling
Area : Kirkbymoorside, N.Yorkshire
Hunt : Sinnington Hunt
Sinnington Hunt has angered the family which owned the cat by suggesting it would not have been killed if a car had not been parked in its way.
12 January 1998 : Pytchley Foxhounds Kill Five Year-Old Cat
Area : Northamptonshire
Hunt : Pytchley Foxhounds
The huntsman told it’s owner that it was a fox, only later was she to discover it was her beloved pet cat.
05 December 1997 : Pet Dog Killed by Tynedale Hunt
Area : Northumberland
Hunt : Tynedale Hunt
A distraught 60 year-old woman threw herself on top of her pet spaniel in a desperate attempt to protect it from an attack by hunt hounds.
05 October 1997 : Fernie Hunt Kills Cat
Area : Lubenham, Leicestershire
Hunt : Fernie Hunt
A cat was attacked and killed by hounds during an October cub-hunt near Lubenham, Leicestershire.
05 March 1996 : East Kent Foxhounds Savage Pet Cat
Area : Petham, Kent
Hunt : East Kent Hunt
Twenty hounds from the East Kent Hunt savaged a five-year-old pet cat in the village of Petham. A witness described the frenzied attack as ‘pure bloodlust.
05 February 1996 : Exmoor Foxhounds Terrorise Cat
Area : Exmoor
Hunt : Exmoor Foxhounds
Out of control hounds from the Exmoor Foxhounds chased a 13 year-old cat, Blackie. The cat ran for its life and wasn’t seen for some time. Its owner Mrs Clevedon said, “When she came back she looked really frightened and covered in cobwebs so she obviously had to take cover.” Captain Ronald Wallace, Master of the Exmoor Foxhounds admitted hounds were out of control but said, “We don’t keep hounds for chasing cats.
05 August 1995 : Western Foxhounds Savaged Pet Cat to Death
Area : Penzance, Cornwall
Hunt : Western Hunt Foxhounds
The 12 year-old cat named ‘Tikkidew’ was in its own garden near New Mill, when it was attacked and killed by hounds of the Western Hunt Fox Hounds.
01 October 1994 : York and Ainsty South Foxhounds Attack Pet Dogs
Area : North Yorkshire
Hunt : York and Ainsty South Hunt
Hounds from the York and Ainsty South Hunt attacked three dogs being walked by their owner in Yorkshire countryside. The hunt dealt with the situation by shooting the lead dog and parading its body before local television cameras.
01 July 1994 : Pet dog dies after attack by York and Ainsty South Hunt hounds
Area : North Yorkshire
Hunt : York and Ainsty South Hunt
70 York and Ainsty South Hunt hounds being exercised savaged a pedigree doberman pincher named Wilhelm being walked on a lead by owner Herbert Claxton. Wilhelm died a few weeks later as a result of the injuries sustained in the attack.
06 March 1994 : Avon Vale Foxhounds Terrorised Cats
Area : Calne, Wiltshire
Hunt : The Avon Vale Foxhounds
The Avon Vale Foxhounds upset residents in Calne when they trampled across gardens and sent cats fleeing. One owner commented, “my two cats panicked and made for the top of the shed while the hounds trampled over my flowers.
05 January 1994 : Cottesmore Foxhounds Kill Cat
Area : Rutland
Hunt : Cottesmore Foxhounds
The cat’s body was not returned by the huntsman, who was described as rude and arrogant by Mrs Clarke who previously was undecided over the hunting issue.
24 December 1987 : Cheshire Forest Hunt Kills Pet Cats
Area : Ashton, Cheshire
Hunt : Cheshire Forest Hunt
Horrified Villages looked on helplessly as two cats were killed when hounds ran amok in gardens on Christmas Eve. Two households had their festive celebrations spoilt when their pets were slaughtered by hounds from the Cheshire Forest Hunt.
25 August 1986 : Pensioner sees pack savage dog to death
Area : Oakwood Hill, Surrey
Hunt : Surrey Union foxhounds
Heartbroken 82yo Alfred Holt sobbed today as he relived the horror of seeing his collie dog “Simon” torn to pieces by Surrey Union Foxhounds as they attacked while Mr Holt was walking his dog on the village green. He battled in vain to try and save his dogs life.
01 December 1977 : Cheshire Foxhounds Kill Pet Cat
Area : Utkinton, Cheshire
Hunt : Cheshire Foxhounds hunt
An Utkinton man has accused the Cheshire Foxhounds hunt of appalling cruelty. He alleges that a cat was torn to death by hounds in his back garden.
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