If you're unfamiliar with what a "hunting dog" actually is, they are dogs bred to locate their target then capture and kill them. They often dig into dens and tunnels to kill their prey.

Hunting with dogs has been illegal in England, Scotland and Wales for more than 15 years. Sadly Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom without a ban on hunting with dogs, which includes fox, deer and hare hunting.

Quick kills are rare, and many animals suffer prolonged, painful deaths when hunters severely injure but fail to kill them.

Contrary to what hunters often say in defense of their cruel pastime, hunting has nothing to do with “conservation” or “population control.” In fact, animals are often specially bred and raised for hunters to kill.

Not only do hunters destroy the lives of many wild animals but also their own dogs lives.
Hunting dogs are susceptible to many illnesses when they spend as much time in the woods as these dogs do. Health hazards include heatstroke, overexertion, ticks, lyme disease, foxtail infection, poison ivy, tongue injuries, limber tail syndrome, exercise-induced collapse, bloating and hypoglycemia.

Out of control hunting dogs have been known to severely injure and kill domestic pets. There have been many instances where this has occurred and the hunter has not been able to get the dog/dogs off on time. Unfortunately this happens because hunters have trained their dogs from an early age to attack and kill animals.

Hunting with dogs give hunters an unfair advantage to the unsuspecting animals they wish harm upon, the dogs assist in detecting and flushing out the animals prior to shooting or setting the dog/dogs onto the animal. Without dog's, hunters would miss opportunities and would likely kill a lot less animals.

It's a priority to get a hunting bill before the Northern Ireland assembly and bring us in line with our UK counterparts.

I want to make it perfectly clear that I do not condone euthanasia of any healthy animal, including hunting dogs. When this bill is passed I want these dogs to be rehabilitated and re-homed. Please do not blame the dogs for their humans actions, they are just as much a victim as the animals that are hunted.

Thank you for taking the time to read about this cause and if you want to see an end to hunting with dogs in Northern Ireland, please sign and share this petition so we can get a step closer to ending cruelty.