12k hounds claimed at risk as UK aims to ban trail hunting

A proposed ban on trail hunting in the United Kingdom is a step closer, as the government has finally opened its public consultation on how to implement it, according to the Guardian. 

The ban will apply to trail hunting in England and Wales. The rural sport of trail hunting, where hounds follow a pre-laid animal-based scent across the countryside, has been a legal alternative to foxhunting, which the Labour government banned in 2005.

However, authorities and animal rights activists claim hunters use trail hunting as a "smokescreen" for illegal foxhunting.

Similar bans have been enacted elsewhere, limiting certain types of hunting to protect wildlife and ecosystems worldwide and to support community wellbeing. 

Several groups oppose the trail hunting ban. One such group is the British Hound Sports Federation, which claims that around 12,000 hounds used in hunts across the U.K. face an uncertain future if the ban passes, the Telegraph reported. 

Hounds used for trail hunting generally don't make good pets, which means they could be left homeless, sent to shelters, or even euthanized if hunts are disbanded. 

Tim Bonner, chief executive of The Countryside Alliance, said the government risked alienating the countryside with its ban. The alliance supports the hunting tradition as part of Britain's rural heritage. 

"This is nothing more than the government attempting to distract from the real problems facing British people," Bonner said, per the Guardian. "Voters care about the countryside, the food on their table and cheaper energy bills; not toxic culture wars." 

Public opinion seems to favor the ban. The Independent reported that out of 2,000 people who responded to a survey, 62% want to end the practice. 

"We pledged to ban trail hunting in our manifesto and that is exactly what we intend to do," said Sue Hayman, the animal welfare minister, according to the Guardian. "The nature of trail hunting makes it difficult to ensure wild and domestic animals are not put at risk of being killed or injured — that is clearly unacceptable."

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