Disgusting hunt behaviour!!!

[Sasca]

Totally outragous hunt in Ireland who should be ashamed of themselves!!!!

The titles on the BBC website is "Hunt pack savages family pet dog"

There is a video coverage of it on the site but the story is

The USPCA is calling for a change in the law to make hunts more liable for the actions of their hounds after a pet dog was torn to pieces.

The incident occurred near Newry on Saturday when a pack of hounds ripped a family's pet dog apart in front of two young cousins.

The boys were walking their pet, Pip, in the fields when the hunt arrived.
They spoke of their horror as the out-of-control animals tore the little Jack Russell-type dog to bits.

The boys said one member of the hunt got off his horse and examined what was left of Pip.

He then threw the various parts into the hedge.

When the boys asked him if their dog was dead, he replied 'yes', got back on his horse and rode off

As the law stands, hunts are not held liable for the actions of their hounds.
The USPCA want the new welfare of animals act to change all that.

The BBC spoke to several members of Newry Harriers but none wanted to make comment on the incident.

When the USPCA heard about what had happened to Pip, they brought the children a new pup.

He was an immediate hit and there is no doubt he will help to ease the pain.
Sadly, though, the shock of what happened seems certain to remain with the boys for a long time to come.


Makes me sick to think of that happening infront of me with one of my dogs. Even worse if one of the kids had tried to pick the puppy up, you think the pack would have stopped then???

[black crow]

Hmmm. Methinks theres more to the story.

[The Little Magician]

That is disgusting. I saw a fow shredded in our yard when the hounds went through, it screamed like a baby and I will never forget it. Its not that I disagree with hunting, I just wish they could kill them in a better way.

[Zeitgeist Mom]

Sounds horrific! those poor kids, and that poor dog.

Hmmm. Methinks theres more to the story.

What's your theory?

[Susan]

That's just so sad. I never thought that hounds would turn on another dog like that. What is most horrible is the way the children were treated - obviously if that is accurate, but sound like it is from the hunt's refusal to comment. If that had been my dog I would have been completlely hysterical.

[Loony]

Thats just absolutely disgusting. Their attitude makes it even worse.

[bimba]

That's disgusting, one of my pet rabbits got ripped to piece by a gun dog - it was horrible.

[AengusOg]

Just goes to show...if you've seen one Jack Russell, you've seen them all.

This will be the start of the big push to ban hunting in Ireland now.:rolleyes::yawn:

[gem]

Just goes to show...if you've seen one Jack Russell, you've seen them all.



Am I the only one that doesn't understand the relevence of this?

[Sasca]

with you gem...

[Zeitgeist Mom]

Am I the only one that doesn't understand the relevence of this?

Me confused too! :confused:

[Susan]

I'm guessing Aengus Og means because the children were gifted a new puppy. The new pup may well have given the children a fresh focus but I bet it will be a long time before they forget seeing Pip torn apart like that. Surely even the most ardent hunter would be devastated to see something like this happen to a family pet?

I don't think that this has anything to do with the morality or legality of hunting. Its about out of control dogs and the attitude of those dog's owners. If this story is accurate then the hounds were out of control and the hunt staff behaved with utter cruelty

[Lobelia Overhill]

I've never been a fan of hunting - the idea of chasing something just doesn't appeal to me at all - incidents like this (and this isn't the first story about a pet being mauled or killed by hounds that I've come across) make my dislike of hunting even stronger.

And for what it's worth I live in the country and have relations who are farmers, none of them agree with hunting.

[IrishGreenSheep]

Just goes to show...if you've seen one Jack Russell, you've seen them all.

This will be the start of the big push to ban hunting in Ireland now.:rolleyes::yawn:

Like everyone else I don't see the point to what you are saying. Also there already is a big push to ban hunting over here.

[daytona]

Me confused too! :confused:

I'm a little confused too and I kinda think I know what Aengus Og is getting but I just hope it isnt. I dont want to write on here what I think is meant as I dont want to upset anyone if i'm wrong.

[Susan]

Daytona - I took it to mean who cares? The dog got replaced and one is much like the other! Which I think is a very harsh attitude, how can anyones heart not ache for this poor wee dog.

[daytona]

Daytona - I took it to mean who cares? The dog got replaced and one is much like the other! Which I think is a very harsh attitude, how can anyones heart not ache for this poor wee dog.

I'm with you 100% those children will be emotionally scarred for a long while. Poor little dog. my heart bleeds.

[Roo]

That is horrid!
I'm not against the new 'fake' scent hunts.
but you can't garentee the dogs wont find something. Apparently they don't always find a fox anyway (before the ban)
If my dog was to kill something she would get its neck and kill it instantly. And thats is her natural instinct, although she plays with it once its dead, or sometimes she plays because she didn't get it propperly - I don't agree with this but it is natural, and she can only catch rabbits with mixi and neighbours chickens and she learnt her lesson.
WHY do hounds tear them up?!?!?!?!?
And as for the Jack russle comment. I dislike those breed types, BUT every animal is completly individual. AND the main reason you can't REPLACE any living thing!

[Sasca]

to me huntings hunting. I dont aggree with it but it gets done and i keep my peace with it. Ill back up my point if asked but i know how heated these things get so now just dont have the flare to argue or try and right the world…

However, had this been any other dog that attacked another dog, the owner would have been help responsible for the dogs actions and measure would have had to been in place. The hunt cant get away with this sort of behaviour just because there hunting!!!

If they are taking the responsibility to use dogs for there use, they have to be fully under control, just like the rest of us have to. If they are not, the dogs should get removed from the pack. The hunt should not be trusted to lose dogs in the public if they cannot be kept under control. I repeat before that if one of those kids had tried to rescue that pup and picked it up, i dont see that group of dogs stopping because the puppy was in the hands of a child. If those dogs had bitten those kids, the hunt would still have denied liability whereas anyone else would have been forced to take action against the dogs.

Im not arguing about whether they should be hunting but i am arguing that they have to take responsibility for the dogs actions and be made to have far stricter controls over them. That pack of dogs should only be allowed out if they can turn from a quarry at a whistle, whether that be fox, cat or child! maybe hunts should be made to have smaller packs that are in more control

[gem]

Well said Sarah

[funkyboots]

we've never allowed the hunt on our land, but we do have a team of guys with gundogs thru once a year but the duel carrageway sorted most of the foxes around here and now i don't keep chickens anymore i never have trouble and all my birds were in large heras runs. sometimes on a nice day the cubs play down by the river and deer graze just across..we have a balance. (altho i seen some large 'labrador'type things sloping along hedges and a bloke a few miles away released lionesses in the 70's ooeeerrr)

[My Crazy Clan]

I think its disgusting, I don't see why should be allowed to get away with it.

BC - I can't see more to the story, the dogs killed the kids dog whilst they were walking it.

[BEX101]

My 2 year old daughter was in the garden with our rabbits yesterday and a dog from down the road jumped the fence and tried its best to kill the rabbits. It took me about 10 minutes to catch the dog during which time it was racing around the garden after the panicking rabbits. Amazingly it didnt catch them and they survived the night without dying of shock. Rosie thought it was funny and told me the dog was "cute" but i dread to think how she would have been if the rabbits had been killed in front of her.

[TanyanChewy]

That's absolutely horrific. Poor little JRT, poor family. How dreadul :(
All you can hope is that the poor little mite's suffering was over quickly - how likely that is I don't know...

[XenaWarriorPrincess]

Its horrific but i dont think you can tar all hunts with the same brush. I dont agree with them not being held responsible for it and also dont agree with the way they poor kids were treated, However i dont think it was the hunts intention to go out and hunt somebodies pet. Like BC said i think there must be more to the story but yet again the good old media have shown the hunt as the spawn of the devil *rolls eyes*
As for the dog suffering, im pretty sure it would have been over quickly...

[My Crazy Clan]

I don't quite see that theres more to the story?

Kids walking their dog, hunt goes by, hunt dogs think little dog is a fox, hunt dogs go for little dog and little dog dies :confused:

But we can't blame the hunt dogs because they were born and bred kill, if anyone is to blame its the people that invented breeding dogs to kill.

[Indi_Jo]

Just wanted to clarify a few things for a few people here :)

The reason the hunted animal is ripped to peices is because the natural instinct of any canine pack is for the lead dog to go for the initial kill to the spinal area ie: neck or back and shake to break the spinal cord, the role of the rest of the pack is to hold the prey animal down until its dead, in the excitement of the hunt and what with a foxes size compared to the hounds they unfortunately pull it apart.

If you watch a wolf pack they use exactly the same technique apart from their pray is alot bigger etc.

I dont know where i stand with the whole hunting debate to be honest as with a hunt they maybe catch a fox 10% of the times they hunt and even then the fox is usually elderly or ill, a healthy fox will always outsmart any hound. Also during one hunt they can actually track anything up to 20 foxes scents so they are not always following the same animal as most people believe.

We have a huntsman in our area who has been employed to dispatch the foxes instead of the hunt, this man shoots anything up to 15 foxes a week including young cubs and pregnant vixens. Given the stats give me the hunt anyday!

Also just to add i dont blame the dogs for this incident, i blame the hunters they should of called the dogs off as soon as they saw the children.

[Kim]

I love all kinds of riding, but hunting i dont like, never did, never will.

Im an animal lover, i cant bear to see even vermin like foxes killed, i went once for the ride and yes the ride is good, but i cannot tolerate the killing of any creature, so never went again.

I know foxes are vermin and they killed loads of my Dad's chickens but i still couldnt watch a pack of hounds rip one apart. Its horrible.:confused: