RSPCA defends cost of fox hunting case
CHARITY bosses have defended spending almost £327,000 on taking a hunting case to court.
The RSPCA prosecuted the Heythrop Hunt for illegal fox hunting in the Cotswolds.
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fined: Julian Barnfield, front, who has been prosecuted by the RSPCA under the hunting with dogs act, along with Richard Salperton of Gloucestershire, and the Heythrop Hunt
This week, Oxford magistrates found the hunt and two of its members guilty and fined them.
The case proved controversial, with critics questioning whether the RSPCA was making best use of money donated to it by members of the public.
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Yesterday, a spokeswoman for the charity defended its actions against the Chipping Norton-based hunt and said people knew what they were doing when they decided to give money.
She said: "Everybody who donates to the RSPCA knows that we carry out prosecutions and knows that their money will be used that way."
Cheltenham resident Nadia Stone, who donates money to the charity monthly, said: "There is a section on the website that allows you to choose whether to give your money to operational costs or to the local branch so I don't think any money meant for our local animals in need has funded this court case.
"I personally don't have a problem with the money spent on this landmark case."
Cheltenham Animal Shelter works closely with the RSPCA but is not funded by it.
Yesterday, staff declined to say anything, other than to stress that they were totally independent from the RSPCA.
The hunt was fined after admitting fox hunting.
It pleaded guilty to four charges of intentionally hunting a fox with dogs on land in the Cotswolds this year and last year.
Former huntsman Julian Barnfield, 49, of Worcester Road, Chipping Norton, and recently retired hunt master Richard Sumner, 68, of Penhill Farm, Salperton, Gloucestershire, also pleaded guilty to the same charges.
District Judge Tim Pattinson fined the hunt £4,000, Sumner £1,800 and Barnfield £1,000.
The hunt was told to pay £15,000 towards RSPCA legal costs, Sumner £2,500 costs and Barnfield £2,000.
Each defendant was also ordered to pay £15 victim surcharges.
Prime Minister David Cameron, MP for Witney, has previously ridden with the hunt.
Comments
by IVW__
Thursday, January 03 2013, 10:58PM
“Good old Otis Ferry, read this is you want to see just how much hassle these hunts cause...and the audacity they have....
......
Huntmaster Otis Ferry sorry after complaint over dogs
South Shropshire huntmaster Otis Ferry today apologised to a resident following complaints that a number of hounds caused chaos in a county village.
South Shropshire huntmaster Otis Ferry today apologised to a resident following complaints that a number of hounds caused chaos in a county village.
The huntsman, who is the son of Roxy Music star Bryan Ferry, said he was 'very sorry' that Jonathan Edwards had not been informed that the South Shropshire Hunt was meeting on Wednesday at Pontesford, near Shrewsbury.
Mr Edwards, 45, who lives at Lower Mill Farm, claimed about 30 hounds ran through the village causing disruption to traffic on the A488 and frightening his horses.
Mr Edwards said the incident happened at about 1pm and lasted for about 25 minutes.
He said: "They had absolutely no control over their hounds which were running all over the main road, causing multiple vehicles and lorries to screech to a halt."
He also claimed that the hounds endangered the lives of his three horses, who were spooked by the dogs.
"One of my horses jumped over a 4ft high electric fence. If I had not been at home he could have run into the road and been killed and caused injuries to passing drivers. It took a long time to get the horses under control again. The one who jumped cost £9,000 and is a great friend and companion," he added.
"It was a sheer lack of respect and it makes me very, very cross. I am not anti-hunt, but in previous years I have had a letter to say it will be happening so I can get the horses in."
Mr Ferry today said: "I do not think at any point the hounds were out of control. People assume they are out of control when actually they are just doing their job.
"I am very, very sorry that Mr Edwards did not get notification. We do our best to notify every landowner when we are in a particular area. Recently we have had a different master for that area and I can only imagine that when the last list has been compiled this landowner was not on it.
"I would urge him to get in touch with me so he can be added to the list of landowners."”
by IVW__
Wednesday, January 02 2013, 11:40AM
“Isn't it ironic that Adolf Hitler banned hunting in the 1930's.
The morals of one of the last centuries biggest killers appearing better than the current day pro hunt lobby in this country.”
by Takeaway01
Monday, December 31 2012, 4:58PM
“IVW__ - The support for the "pro fox-hunting brigade" are the onmes that insert the red arrows. Only one person has attempted to defend the indefensible, but ran out of ideas so had to resort to spamming.”
by IVW__
Monday, December 31 2012, 9:45AM
“I'd just like to thank the RSPCA for taking these people to court. They broke the law after all. With an estimated 85% of British people against hunting I think they have done a brilliant job of representing the democractic majority. The argument of cost vs court outcome is superfluous, the fact is these people now have records.
One interesting thing to note on these forums is the lack of people who come out in defense of fox hunting these days. It's fantastic to see it's decline into one of this cruel, vile so called 'sport'.”
by Takeaway01
Sunday, December 30 2012, 10:06AM
“I believe this story has run its course :)”
by Jude177
Thursday, December 27 2012, 11:31PM
“" the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated..." Gandhi -just because we used to do something and call it "tradition"-doesn't make it right-it's called progress and becoming civilised...Jude W”
by Jude177
Thursday, December 27 2012, 11:26PM
“" the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated..." Gandhi......just because you have always done something-a "tradition"-doesn't make it right...it's called progress and becoming civilised....Jude W”
by eyeopener
Thursday, December 27 2012, 11:10PM
“@ EireneRose
Thank you:
Seasons greetings to you and a very Happy New Year!”
by EireneRose
Thursday, December 27 2012, 11:10PM
“Personally, I find it very sad that so many of you have spent the majority of Christmas writing rubbish about foxes. Eyeopener/ Charlespk exchanging email addresses might be a good thing. Either that or just give each other a big hug and kiss. At least debating the EU is slightly more interesting.”
by eyeopener
Thursday, December 27 2012, 11:08PM
“@ Charlespk
"Why do people like you think only lambs, poultry and other wildlife should suffer, and only foxes and badgers must be cherished?"
C'mon we both know that that is an extreme distortion of the facts. It assumes that things have to be "either, or"
I have given plenty of examples of alternative culling and also shown that the scale of predation is far less than the Fox Hunting fraternity would like to admit.
Indeed during the period before the ban there is documented evidence that "Hunts across the country are breeding foxes in specially made dens to ensure an adequate supply of the animals, undermining claims that they are killed only in the name of pest control....."
"The earths are usually sunken concrete chambers built into the ground and connected by a network of tunnels. Foxes are encouraged to live in them and are sometimes fed and given water. They are usually built in areas near to key hunt 'meets', for example in woodland that will be hunted on Boxing Day or other prime occasions. The earths ensure that foxes are always available for a hunt in a specific area......"
"At some earths, foxes are fed by dumping animal carcasses near the entrances. League members have filmed and photographed two calf carcasses dumped within 100 yards of an artificial earth on land used by the Heythrop foxhounds in Oxfordshire, one of the country's most prestigious hunts. Near the bodies were animal bones, indicating that carcasses had been dumped on the site before....."
"A spokeswoman for the Heythrop hunt said it did not deliberately feed foxes. 'I would strongly suggest it must be somebody else. The Heythrop does not put out calves' carcasses anywhere,' she said."
This is the same hunt of course that denied illegal hunting only to be convicted last week for illegal hunting.
"Some pro-hunters blame the creation of artificial earths on farmers seeking to control their fox populations. But a spokesman for the National Farmers' Union said this was unlikely. 'I would be amazed if farmers were involved. If hunts are using artificial earths for foxes, that would anger farmers,' he said."
All this does beg the question, can a hunt that denied illegal hunting until convicted be credible and how many foxes have you encountered with cement mixers and trowels?
Before howls of "libel" go out.... my sources are national newspapers including The Guardian, The Independent and The Telegraph.
The Guardian
'Hunters 'breeding foxes' to provide for the kill.
Concrete chambers used as 'artificial earths' to ensure supply of animals for blood sport'
http://tinyurl.com/d8wlj9
The Telegraph
Beaufort Hunt 'broke rules on fox breeding'
http://tinyurl.com/c2353y9
The Independent
'More hunts in fox-breeding scandal'
http://tinyurl.com/c2rk27”