Founder of Kent based animal welfare organisation has spoken about her horror at the behaviour of her local fox hunt

A British Army veteran and founder of a Kent based animal welfare organisation has spoken about her horror at the behaviour of her local fox hunt and the Ministry of Defence policy to licence trail hunting on government land.

Carly Ahlen, who runs the Gabo Wildlife organisation, has been monitoring the East Kent Hunt with West Street since last August when the cub hunting season started.

She has been out every weekend with West Kent Hunt Saboteurs and earlier this month filmed the distressing sight of the body of a fox being recovered after being torn apart by the hunt in a resident’s garden in Westmarsh near Canterbury.

Carly, who regularly helps rehabilitates injured, orphaned and distressed wild animals, described the upsetting incident.

“It was one of the most traumatic things I have ever seen. The fox was disemboweled in what must have been the most agonising of deaths.

“It followed the relentless pursuit of this vixen from her home for hours.”

The warm body of the fox was taken and given to police as evidence in an ongoing police investigation.

Carly, who served with the Royal Logistics Corps for three years, believes trail hunting is a smokescreen and is shocked that it is still licensed by the Ministry of Defence – which recently only made the matter worse by ending an agreement to allow League Against Cruel Sports investigators to monitor hunts.

Carly added: “I’ve never seen a trail being laid and hunts purposefully target small patches of woodland where foxes like to live.

“Having used my fieldcrafts and military background out in the countryside monitoring fox hunts, I can hand on my heart tell you there is no trail hunting taking place here, only blood sports.

“The MoD needs to follow the example of other landowners and stop licensing trail hunting.”

Carly has also been the victim of menacing behaviour by the terrier men who accompany her local hunt.

She described terrier men as the ‘soft underbelly’ of fox hunting and questioned why they would be needed if ‘trail’ hunting was real.

Four arrests were made and 12 dogs seized from terrier men associated with her local hunt in the ‘largest ever’ fox hunting raid by the police and RSPCA which targeted terrier work last weekend.

Carly, a passionate supporter of animal welfare finished by saying: “I am there to help wildlife, be it the fox or the hound. I look forward to working together with others who share the vision of finally ending fox hunting.”