Sabs Across The Country Mobilise To Save Fox Cubs

And so it begins… cub hunting, the disgusting and illegal practice of training new foxhounds to kill fox cubs, is now in full swing across the country. Hunts ride out very early in the morning – when fox scent is strongest – and surround woods or fields with riders to ensure foxes and cubs have no escape from the hounds.

With the police ignoring this mass criminality, hunt sabs are the only hope for vulnerable fox cubs. Here’s just a small snapshot of the direct action that took place last Saturday…

North Dorset sabs were out so early they rumbled the Portman Hunt’s ‘earth stoppers’ in action. These creeps sneak around before the hunt, filling in fox earths and other holes that might provide an escape route for fleeing cubs. Not far away, Weymouth Animal Rights were in action against the South Dorset Hunt – WAR’s tactical positioning meant they were in just the right place to spray citronella over the scent line of two hunted cubs. It was a similar scene at the Mendip Farmers’ Hunt with brave Mendip sabs repeatedly saving foxes, despite threats and abuse from this notoriously violent hunt.

Further east, Guildford sabs out scouting for the Hampshire Hunt stumbled on a meet of the Hursley Hambledon instead. The hunt were at a complete loss as to what to do with sabs in attendance, eventually persuading one of their gullible supporters to pretend to be a ‘trail layer’ on a bike! This laughable charade at least ensured they were unable to chase foxes all morning.

In the Midlands, Herts and Northants sabs turned up at the Cottesmore Hunt kennels. The hunt weren’t out, but kennel staff greeted sabs by screaming abuse from an upstairs window – classy! Sabs then hot-footed it over to the Pytchley Hunt who they found in perfect cub-hunting formation around a small wood. As soon as sabs appeared, the Pytchley abandoned hunting and headed back to the meet – job done! West Mids sabs had a similarly effective morning, deploying a drone to sabotage the activities of the Warwickshire Hunt – again, no kills!

Elsewhere, North Wales sabs found that their usual target – the Flint & Denbigh Hunt – had decided to sab themselves by holding their meet in the middle of a car rally! Sabs still had to intervene, though, using citronella to cover the scent of an escaping cub. Meanwhile, Glasgow sabs had a very successful outing against the Lanarkshire & Renfrewshire Foxhounds, completely trashing their first cubbing meet.

Many other sab groups were in action last Saturday, as they will be throughout the hunting season. The HSA exists to support hunt sabs in the field so, please, help us to help them by becoming a member or making a donation today.