Hound killed as Crawley and Horsham Hunt blatantly Continues to Hunt Illegally

Hunt monitors expressed dismay and horror today after the Crawley and Horsham Hunt, exposed only last week for hunting illegally in a new report by the League Against Cruel Sports, were seen to be yet again be blatantly hunting live quarry – ultimately leading to the death of a hound on the A24.

The hunt met at 11am at The Bridge Pub, Copsale near Horsham, West Sussex, and had been seen hunting illegally by the monitors present. Despite intimidation from the ‘hunt stewards’ present (employed by the hunt to prevent monitors getting near enough to the action to get video evidence) and tampering with the monitors vehicle by letting a tyre down, monitors remained with the hunt throughout the day. Just before 3pm this afternoon a hound was killed after straying onto the busy A24. When monitors asked the huntsman how this could happen if they were ‘trail hunting’ as they claimed he replied that no trail had been laid at all.

Dawn Preston, spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association, stated ‘What we have here is a blatant disregard for the law – and also for life, be it that of a fox being hunted illegally or a hound who is in the wrong place at the wrong time. The League Against Cruel Sports exposed this very same hunt only last week for continuing to flout the Hunting Act, and yet again we see them displaying unbelievable arrogance when it comes to choosing what laws to abide by – or rather not. Sussex Police were called on by monitors to look at the tampering to their vehicle by hunt stewards, and we look to the police to deal with such repeated breaking of a law designed to prevent cruelty to animals. The law was passed for a reason and needs to be enforced – now.’

Notes to Editors:

• The League Against Cruel Sports report on the Crawley and Horsham Hunt can be found here
• The HSA was set up in 1963 and has over 40 years experience of getting between the hunters and their quarry. Traditionally this was by using non-violent direct action, but since the Hunting Act the new tool of sabotage is the video camera, as activists seek to get evidence of illegal hunting.

ENDS