Hunting with dogs: Campaign groups call for a ban in NI

Hunting wild animals with dogs has been illegal (with some exceptions) in England Scotland and Wales, since the early 2000's

Campaigners are calling for hunting with dogs to be banned in Northern Ireland.

This would bring it in line with legislation elsewhere in the UK.

The League Against Cruel Sports and the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (USPCA) have jointly launched a petition on hunting animals for sport to be made illegal.

England and Wales introduced legislation banning hunting with animals 20 years ago.

Legislation in Scotland dating back to 2002 was replaced with a fresh act in 2023, which permitted some hunting with dogs in limited circumstances, for example the prevention of disease spreading.

But it remains illegal to chase and kill a wild mammal using a dog in Scotland.

The Northern Ireland Assembly last debated the issue in 2021, when a bill proposed by the Alliance Party to ban the practice was rejected and questions asked about the stance of Sinn Féin on the issue.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald had previously indicated she would support a ban, but it whipped its assembly members to vote against the bill.

Some Democratic Unionist Party MLAs and the Traditional Unionist Voice's sole MLA voted against it as well.

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Launching the Together campaign, the chief executive of the USPCA, Nora Smith, told BBC News NI's Good Morning Ulster programme on recent polling a majority of people supported a ban.

She said Northern Ireland was "embarrassingly behind" and urged people to sign the petition so "robust" legislation can be brought in.

"Chasing and killing wild animals with dogs is barbaric, it's cruel and we want to see us brought into line with other parts of the UK to ban it," she said.

"The bottom line is, we are chasing and killing wild animals as a source of entertainment.

"They can dress it up in different ways, but that's the harsh reality and that's what we want to see banned here."

Ms Smith said the campaign does have "strong political support" and hopes the agriculture minister will back legislation to ban the sport.

"I'm forever the optimist and it feels with this new mandate with the narrative of positive politics in Northern Ireland, this represents a real opportunity for our politicians to show leadership on an issue many people feel very strongly about."

'A cruel sport'

Robbie Marsland, from the League Against Cruel Sports, said there was "no place" for hunting with dogs in modern society.

"There are humane alternatives such as drag hunting which allow for the traditional pageantry but crucially don't involve encouraging a pack of dogs to chase and kill wild animals across the countryside," he said.

Conducted in a similar manner as fox hunting, drag hunting is legal across the UK and involves horse-mounted riders hunting the trail of an artificially laid scent.

Mr Marsland added that "while farmers need effective methods of pest control, evidence shows that hunting with dogs isn't one of them".

He described hunting with dogs as "a sport that is cruel to the wild animals and the dogs that are forced to kill them".

However, Director of Countryside Alliance Ireland Gary McCartney said hunting has been a part of the Northern Ireland countryside for years.

He said there was "no justification" for banning it and the group would oppose any attempt to legislate against properly conducted hunting.

"Where laws have been passed in other countries it has been a divisive and time consuming process which has done nothing for animal welfare and in many cases seen the populations of quarry species decline," Mr McCartney added.