Help us end hunting on public land in Somerset

Hunting with dogs is rife in Somerset. For far too long, hunts have been free to carry on their brutal ‘sport’, no matter the cost to wildlife, pets and people.

Now is the time to take a stand. As a new council prepares to take control of large swathes of public land, Somerset can take a leading role in ending hunting for good. Will you ask them to ban all hunting on public land?

Trail hunting has been exposed as a “smokescreen” and the law is simply too weak to stop hunts chasing and blighting communities. As large landowners, councils like Somerset have a vital role to play by shutting hunts out of public land.

They must take leadership on the issue by banning trail hunting, exempt hunting, hound exercise and hunt meets on their land. Somerset must show it can take action to prevent the abuse of its land by hunts.

If you live, work or study in Somerset please fill out the form below to sign the petition to ban ‘trail’ hunting, exempt hunting, hound exercise and hunt meets on public land in Somerset. Tell Somerset Council that enough is enough.

We, the undersigned call upon Somerset Council to do everything within its legal powers to ban ‘trail’ hunting, exempt hunting, hound exercise and hunt meets on land owned by the council.

We note that fox hunting, hare hunting and deer hunting with dogs has been illegal under the terms of the Hunting Act 2004, except where exemptions apply.

Most registered hunts claim to now be ‘trail’ hunting, an activity invented after the ban which allows hunts to claim that any chase of a wild mammal is an accident rather than intentional.

Exemptions and loopholes within the Hunting Act 2004 have been exploited by fox, hare and stag hunts across Somerset to allow for the continuation of hunting with dogs. We call upon Somerset Council to use all its legal powers to prevent such abuses on land owned by the council.

We urge the council not to allow trail hunting, exempt hunting, hound exercise and hunt meets on its land.

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