Taunton Vale Harriers – A Very Public Death

On Thursday 30th Jan, a Somerset woman witnessed a pack of hounds tearing a fox apart after her afternoon was interrupted by a pack of hunting hounds running through the paddock outside her house. 

Wendy Bowen, who lives in Westleigh near Lydeard St Lawrence, Taunton was working from home when she was interrupted by one of her dogs barking. She went outside to investigate what was causing his distress, and saw several hunt hound dogs in her paddock running loose. Shortly afterwards, she witnessed several hunt riders riding past her house, heading up the hill.

“Within a few minutes of all of this happening”, said Wendy “I could hear the hollering and screaming from the hunt riders. This, obviously signalling that the hounds had got on a fox. The noises that the riders made were quite horrific. Next, I could hear the hunt dogs going into cry and I knew it was too late.”

Wendy bravely went out to challenge the Taunton Vale Harriers. In her own paddock, she found lots of hunt hounds loose, running through her property trying to get into the adjoining field and catch up with the pack.

“Thats when I could see the pack of hounds in a large gathering. All of them were frantically tugging and tearing at the fox’s body. It was an absolutely vile, sickening and disturbing thing to witness, also being completely helpless to stop them.”

“I saw four men on quads. When they realised that I was filming they turned and covered their faces. Then, one of the men – wearing a flap cap – went and spoke to the terrier men on the quads, he then proceeded to try and intervene and step in to break up the kill. Which by now, as they knew, was far too late.”

Feeling absolutely devastated, Wendy managed to call 999 and got a very rapid response. Avon & Somerset Police attended the scene and were given the footage and photos as evidence.

After the Taunton Vale Harriers had left Westleigh, Wendy discovered the gruesome remains of the fox’s body where the pack of hounds had gathered.

Somerset Hunt Sabs supported Wendy after this ordeal, and said:

“Our heart goes out to Wendy who had to witness this gruesome sight from her own property. Our sabs have witnessed foxes being killed and this incident demonstrates yet again that trail-hunting is a lie, acting as a smokescreen for illegal fox hunting. We call on the new government to fulfill their promise to ban fox hunting as soon as possible.”

Rowan Hughes, spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association added:

“We’ve witnessed hounds being deliberately brought into private gardens on numerous occasions in the relentless pursuit of their quarry. This causes distress to people and their pets, as well as foxes and other wildlife. We were really sorry to hear about Wendy witnessing this brutal kill, but impressed that she acted so fast to gather evidence and call the police. It’s an embarrassment that we still don’t have an adequate Hunting Act and the hunt will probably get away with it yet again.”