To the Members of the Legislative Assembly,
Chasing down wild animals such as foxes, hares and deer with dogs before tearing them apart inflicts terrible mental and physical suffering. So too does sending dogs underground to force animals to fight or flee before being killed. Yet this is happening day in, day out in Northern Ireland and the suffering it inflicts will not end until hunting with dogs and terrier work are banned.
Such barbaric acts have no place in a modern and compassionate society. Northern Ireland should now lead the way with a full, comprehensive and enforceable ban on hunting with dogs, which does not contain exemptions and loopholes which would allow animals to continue to be chased and killed.
We, the undersigned, urge the Northern Ireland Assembly to consign this cruelty to the history books by banning hunting of wild mammals with dogs in Northern Ireland, including terrier work, at the earliest opportunity.