Petition · past parliament
Crackdown on Illegal Hunting With Dogs
Rejected
21 signatures
What the petition asks
The Hunting Act (2004) came into effect in February (2005), yet nearly 17 years later, illegal fox hunting is still done with riders, packs of foxhounds, terriers and terrier men, resulting in foxes still being killed and horses, hounds and terriers still being put in danger and killed.
Fox hunting is a barbaric bloodsport in which foxes are chased and killed by hounds. Foxhounds are put in danger when the hunts cross roads and/or train tracks. At just six years old, the foxhounds are shot and replaced by younger hounds.
I would recommend the following changes to protect animals from hunts:
* Legally require all hunt foxhounds to wear humane muzzles when out.
* Put all illegal hunters in jail for at least a year.
* Have the police/the RSPCA attend hunts safely.
I would recommend the following changes to protect animals from hunts:
* Legally require all hunt foxhounds to wear humane muzzles when out.
* Put all illegal hunters in jail for at least a year.
* Have the police/the RSPCA attend hunts safely.
Why it was rejected
It was not clear what the petition asked the UK Government or Parliament to do.
Petitions need to call on the Government or Parliament to take a specific action.
We understand that you're concerned about how offences related to illegal hunting are enforced, but we're not sure exactly what you'd like the Government or Parliament to do.
We have published the following petition, which you might like to sign:
Require all hounds involved in 'trail hunts' to be muzzled: Require all hounds involved in 'trail hunts' to be muzzled
Decisions about sentencing for offences related to illegal hunting are a matter for the courts, but we could accept a petition calling on the Government to increase minimum and maximum sentences for engaging in illegal hunting activities, if that's what you want to happen.
We're not sure what you mean when you say you want to "Have the police/the RSPCA attend hunts safely." Decisions about policing, including whether to have a police present at hunting events, are a matter for individual police forces, not the UK Government or Parliament.
You could start a new petition explaining clearly what you would like the Government or Parliament to do.
We understand that you're concerned about how offences related to illegal hunting are enforced, but we're not sure exactly what you'd like the Government or Parliament to do.
We have published the following petition, which you might like to sign:
Require all hounds involved in 'trail hunts' to be muzzled: Require all hounds involved in 'trail hunts' to be muzzled
Decisions about sentencing for offences related to illegal hunting are a matter for the courts, but we could accept a petition calling on the Government to increase minimum and maximum sentences for engaging in illegal hunting activities, if that's what you want to happen.
We're not sure what you mean when you say you want to "Have the police/the RSPCA attend hunts safely." Decisions about policing, including whether to have a police present at hunting events, are a matter for individual police forces, not the UK Government or Parliament.
You could start a new petition explaining clearly what you would like the Government or Parliament to do.
Timeline
| 1 Jan 2022 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 4 Apr 2022 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
21
Status
Rejected
Rejected
4 Apr 2022
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.