The Trust says trail hunting “replicates a traditional hunt without a fox being chased, injured or killed”. But everyone knows there are many “mistakes”. Soon, the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill could make those mistakes more significant:

The Trust simply can’t prevent cruelty at trail hunts as they involve foxes, hounds, and portly gents on horses, none of whom can be relied upon. So soon, when cruelty next happens at a Trust trail hunt they may be held to be negligent and in breach of the law for having failed to provide adequate safeguards.

Michael Gove has just said: “There is no place in this country for animal cruelty”. Are times changing enough to force the Trust to finally abandon its “accidental cruelty” policy?

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