fox-hunting in America

The front page of the Thursday, February 10, International Herald Tribune had a disturbing story headed, "Americans going to dogs; Fox hunting gains ground, unlike in Britain."

It describes hunt preparations, notes "... And yes, his was northern Maryland, not Gloucestershire" and tells us "While fox hunters in England and Wales face a hugely controversial ban -- effective at midnight next Thursday unless overturned by a British court that heard an appeal this week -- the sport is flourishing on this side of the Atlantic."

We learn:
"There are 169 recognized hunts in North America, up from 144 a decade ago, said Dennis Foster, executive director of the Masters of Foxhounds Association of America. The American number is not terribly far behind England's 200 hunts, though America has nothing like the million people who literally follow hunts there. So far, there have been few public protests like those in Britain that have mobilized hundreds of thousands on both sides...But animal-protection groups, spurred partly by the hubbub in Britain, are taking a closer look."

PETA's Stephanie Boyles is quoted:

"I can't think of a more cruel way for an animal to die: to be pursued to the point of exhaustion, then ripped apart. And we're doing it as a form of entertainment. That's the definition of a blood sport."

The article is balanced, noting that "Elkridge-Harford has access to a luxurious swath of terrain, nearly 150 square miles, or about 400 square kilometers, much owned by club members or their friends. They constantly negotiate for access, fiercely resist development and sometimes join together to buy land. 'There wouldn't be all the fox we chase if it wasn't for fox-hunting,' Smalley said. The territory harbors a wealth of wildlife, from ever-present deer to eagles. With few natural predators around, fox populations have boomed, constrained mainly by mange, rabies and collisions with cars.

It unfortunately gives the impression that the hunt is a big game to the fox. One hunter talks about foxes who might "run right over their den two times, then the third time, when you can tell they're getting tired -- boom! -- they pop into the den. They'll play with you." One could think of many reasons (young inside?) that a fox, with dogs in pursuit, would choose not to enter the den until she absolutely had to.

You can read the whole article on line at:  http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/02/09/news/fox.html

It provides a great opportunity for letters in this respected international paper, against any blood sports. The International Herald Tribune takes letters at: letters [at] iht.com

Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when sending a letter to the editor. Shorter letters are more likely to be published.

Yours and the animals',
Karen Dawn

(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at http://www.DawnWatch.com. If you reprint DawnWatch alerts, please do so unedited -- leave DawnWatch in the title and include this tag line.)