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For the past two months sabs have continued their summer of action against the elusive mink hunts. Northern groups have intensified their campaign against the Northern Counties Mink Hunt, kennel watching them every week and receiving plenty of tip-offs from fed up locals. The hunt appear to have been staying at home on Saturdays to avoid sabs but even when they snuck out on a Thursday recently a tip off meant that sabs were already waiting for them at the meet and sent them scurrying back to kennels. The impact this campaign is having on the Northern Counties can be seen in the online whining by hunt stalwart Claire Bentley-Smith. In her words “The future of a lovely hound pack….hangs in the balance here”
Elsewhere in the country groups from the Midlands spent a very wet day blockading the kennels of the Dove Valley Mink Hounds forcing them to abandon hunting before they’d even started. On the same day further South various groups sabbed the notoriously violent Courtenay Tracy Hunt, just outside Dorchester. Sabs stood their ground in the face of violence and racism from the Courtenay Tracy and sent them packing back to kennels.
On Bank Holiday Weekend at the end of May sabs from South Wales, Bristol, Severn Vale, Mendip and Herefordshire found the Three Counties Mink Hounds hunting in Neen Sollars, Shropshire. The normal mink hunt patterned followed – hounds were boxed up and taken back to kennels before some token aggression from frustrated supporters, on this occasion a well-known individual who has previously threatened sabs with a knife tried to attack them with his otter pole (who’s stated use is as unpleasant being to knock mink out of trees after they’ve taken refuge from hounds).
Finally, this past weekend, Guildford and West Sussex Hunt Sabs perseverance paid off and after weeks of intelligence gathering they caught the Wealden Mink Hunt on the River Adur near Brighton. The hunt had surrounded a tree and were trying to dislodge a mink that had fled the hounds but quickly stopped when sabs arrived and began the walk of shame back to their meet.
Other groups around the country continue to gather intelligence on their local mink packs so if you haven’t seen sabs yet, don’t worry, your turn will come.
If you see anything suspicious that you think might be a mink hunt please contact our tip off line on – 07443 148426
We are the only organisation that works directly in the field to save wildlife through direct action.