Charity welcomes new government move to toughen fox hunting laws
Animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports has welcomed a new government consultation that could lead to tougher laws to finally end hunting with dogs – including fox hunting – in the English and Welsh countryside.
The consultation, launched today (26 March 2026), will run for 12 weeks and asks the public for their views on trail, drag and clean boot hunting, as well as “whether any other legislative changes are needed to ensure that a ban is effective”.
The League is urging people to take part and back the government’s pledge to ban so‑called trail hunting, while also calling for:
- New measures to outlaw reckless and so‑called “accidental” hunting
- The removal of loopholes in the existing Hunting Act 2004
- The introduction of custodial sentences to deter lawbreaking
‘On the brink of consigning this blood sport to history’
Emma Slawinski, chief executive of the League Against Cruel Sports, said the consultation is a crucial opportunity to finally stop illegal hunting:
“This consultation is the very welcome start of a process which should lead to more effective legislation allowing the courts and police to tackle persistent and prolific illegal hunting, something the League has been lobbying many different governments for over many years.
The time for change is now – 21 years after the original hunting ban came into force, we are now finally on the brink of consigning this old-fashioned blood sport to history.
So-called trail hunting must be banned, the exemptions in the Hunting Act removed, the end of so-called accidental hunting, and jail sentences introduced to act as a deterrent for those who would break new stronger fox hunting laws.”
Hundreds of reports of suspected illegal fox hunting
To coincide with the consultation launch, the League has released new data suggesting suspected illegal fox hunting remains widespread.
Between August 2025 and 25 March 2026 – covering the last fox and cub hunting seasons – the charity recorded:
- 488 reports of foxes seen being pursued
- 1,220 reports of anti-social behaviour and “hunt havoc” in rural communities
- Pre‑laid trails recorded at only 4% of hunt meets attended by monitors
The reports came from the League’s Animal Crimewatch service, its professional investigators, and other monitor and saboteur groups.
“Hunt havoc” includes trespass in people’s gardens, attacks on family pets, deer and other wildlife being chased, and hounds running loose on busy roads or railway lines – all of which the League says is inconsistent with the idea of following a pre‑laid trail.
The charity believes these figures are just “the tip of the iceberg”, as many hunts in remote rural areas are not monitored and incidents may go unreported.
Strong public backing for tougher laws
The League says there is clear public support for stronger hunting laws.
In February 2025, on the twentieth anniversary of the Hunting Act coming into force, the charity handed in a 104,000‑signature petition to Number 10 calling for tougher legislation. This was followed in 2026 by a 36,000‑signature open letter urging the government to keep its promise to strengthen hunting laws.
Emma Slawinski added:
“For more than 20 years, hunts have carried on breaking the law and ignoring the ban on chasing and killing wild animals with dogs.
This is a pivotal moment for animal welfare and, as well intentioned as the original ban was, this time around we need to get it right with stronger measures to stop the cruelty and killing.”
How to take part in the consultation
Members of the public are being encouraged to share their views during the 12‑week consultation period.