An important issue nowadays is fox hunting, whether it should be banned or not. Groups of people against fox hunting called Saboteurs say that it is cruel whilst others say it is just a country sport. Is fox hunting a blood sport or a field sport? Fox hunting is when people train dogs and let them chase foxes, eventually killing them. The people will follow the dogs, some walking by foot and some mounted on horsebacks. This sport has been around for centuries and quite a popular type of sport. It has been part of Britain’s history. The sport is challenging and exciting, yet cruel.
Foxhunters say that fox hunting has been part of Britain for centuries. In the past, it was mostly rich people who took part of this type of sport, but nowadays-more normal people take part in this sport as most people can afford it. Other variations of this group of sport are fishing and dog fighting. One of the most popular hunting games in the world is the Spanish bull fighting. Bull fighting is also a cruel sport, but people love it, this is why bull fighting is entirely legal in Spain. Foxhunters then claim that if the cruel sport bull fighting is legal, why is fox hunting going to become illegal? Foxhunters then say that this is because fox hunting is still a weak sport and not as popular as its other similar cousins, so Saboteurs with more power can make it illegal.
The Saboteurs claim that the hunters train their hounds by whipping them and not letting them eat for days. This causes the hound to go very hungry and try to catch foxes quicker and then eat them. However, the supporters of fox hunting say that they do not whip their hounds to train them. The hounds are trained to be fit and healthy so that they could keep up with foxes. Another issue is that if farmers don’t kill the foxes, their population would go up and ruin farms. Some supporters also say that hunting benefits the countryside because it helps preserve hedges, woods and copses. Foxhunters also mentioned that using dogs are a more humane way of killing foxes, without dogs the farmers would have to use less humane ways to kill the foxes such as gassing and shooting. On the other hand, the Saboteurs say that 13,000 foxes are killed from fox hunting every year; as a result, this will decrease the population of the foxes every year even if they ruin farms and the countryside.
Some people say that fox hunting is fun sport whilst others say that it is cruel. Some Saboteurs use any possible ways necessary to prevent fox hunting. Some foxhunters claim that Saboteurs put nails on horses’ hooves to prevent them from moving and going hunting. Saboteurs also frighten the horses when they approach the hunters. Is this really animal welfare? To sum it up, I think that there are both good and bad sides of fox hunting. The good point of view is that it is part of Britain and represents one of Britain’s unique sports. It also helps farmers maintain farms and help preserve the countryside. It can prevent farmers from using less humane ways of execution such as gassing and shooting. Most of all, it gives the participant a positive experience. Alternatively, there are also some disadvantages about fox hunting. Some foxhunters appear to be training their hounds quite “cruelly”.
Some starve their hounds for a couple of days. Others whip them. Another point is that more foxes are killed every year. The population of foxes are decreasing rapidly, one day leading to the path of extinction. It’s quite clear that fox hunting is cruel but yet, it is still part of Britain’s history. This is why I think that fox hunting is a field sport and should be kept to represent Britain. If Saboteurs think that fox hunting is cruel, what about fishing? Is attracting fish to bite a sharp hook then forced out of its home in water on to the dry heated land not cruel? Even though I think this, it is my opinion; many may have different views that disagree with me. I respect their ideas. Thank you for reading.