Your Support Matters

Campaigners target ‘home of fox hunting’ 

Last month, your support enabled campaigners from the League to target the ‘home of fox hunting’, the British Hound Sports Association (BHSA), based near Cirencester in Gloucestershire.  

A League ‘huntsman’ carrying a fake fox covered in blood spoke to shoppers in the town to show the extent to which fox hunting is still taking place 20 years after the ban. 

With you as our partners the League is currently lobbying the government to strengthen existing hunting laws as foxes are still being chased and killed. Hunts are also falling under the spotlight for their anti-social behaviour and wreaking havoc on rural communities.  

Your generosity is helping get this vital messaging to key decision makers in government. 

A recent set of figures gathered by the League’s supporter-funded intelligence team showed the shocking scale of fox cub hunting, during which hunts cruelly train young hounds to hunt. Gloucestershire was the worst county in England and Wales in this year’s figures. 

The League’s campaign in Cirencester followed the publication of footage captured by the Lake District Hunt Saboteurs at a joint meet of the Coniston and Teme Valley hunts, which appears to show a fox being dug out from where it had gone to ground, carried some distance, and then released to the hounds. Both hunts were members of the British Hound Sports Association. A total of 16 arrests have been made in connection with the incident, though no charges have yet been brought. 

Thank you for your generous support - it's because of you that our campaigns team can be out in the world, boldly raising awareness and speaking up for animals. 

A Sanctuary for Hunted Wildlife  

Back in 1958, supporters like you helped the League take a bold step - purchasing land on Exmoor to create safe havens for wildlife.

The world has changed in countless ways since then. But one thing hasn’t: wild animals like foxes and deer are still being hunted with dogs - chased, terrorised, and killed for so-called ‘sport’ - despite a ban dating back 20 years.

On Exmoor, pheasant shooting increased in the intervening years, with gamekeepers slaughtering animals they perceive to be a threat to the partridge and pheasant they rear to be shot for sport. But thanks to your compassion and commitment, the League’s wildlife reserves have become a lifeline. You have given wildlife surrounded by hunting something priceless: peace.

Baronsdown, once a hunting estate complete with staghound kennels, is now over a square kilometre of safety. Because of you, it continues to offer shelter and freedom to animals that would otherwise be forced to run for their lives.

Winter is hard for wildlife, even on our reserves. With freezing temperatures and scarce food, survival is a daily struggle. Imagine then the horror of being hunted - exhausted, starving, and scared - all for someone’s ‘entertainment’.

Your generosity makes sure that, at Baronsdown and on other reserves, animals have a place to rest, recover, and simply be. Thank you.

Protecting Animals - and the Planet  

Because of you, animals are spared from the cruelty of bloodsports. But protecting them from hunting, fighting and other cruel sports is just the beginning of what’s needed to protect their future. With your help, we're also working to safeguard the wild spaces they call home - because saving animals from harm today means little if their habitats are unliveable tomorrow. 

Together, we’re taking meaningful steps to reduce our environmental impact, support biodiversity and connect our campaigning to wider environmental goals – all to protect animals threatened by a changing climate. Here are just a few ways your support is driving change: 

Enhancing Nature  

The reserves you help to maintain don’t just protect animals; they protect entire ecosystems. Your support is helping to improve habitat quality, boost biodiversity and support climate adaptation strategies. 

Reducing the League’s Environmental Footprint 

From cutting energy use in our offices, to reviewing travel and procurement policies, to considering the impacts of the materials we use, we’re looking closely at how our daily operations can become greener. 

Embedding Sustainability 

Sustainability is now woven into everything we do – from planning and risk assessments to long-term decision-making. With your support, we’re building a future where protecting animals and the environment goes hand in hand. 

Connecting to Wider Environmental Goals 

Cruel sports don’t just harm animals – they harm the land they rely on. Hounds and huntsmen damage fragile habitats. Millions of non-native gamebirds released into the English countryside disrupt ecosystems. Heather burning designed to bolster grouse populations for shooting estates scorch Scotland’s landscapes and drive down biodiversity. By exposing these links to decision-makers, you're helping us show that protecting animals is vital for a healthier, more balanced planet. 

Every step we take is powered by your compassion. Together, we’re not just saving lives - we’re shaping a future where animals and nature can thrive, side by side.