Investigation after 'hounds on the loose' in Somerset village
A village a few miles west of Taunton was shaken up earlier this month by dogs running loose. Police say around a dozen dogs were loose in Oake on the morning of Monday, October 7, with some being struck by cars.
An investigation has now begun by Avon and Somerset Police into the incident. A local campaign group fears that the incident may have been connected to a fox hunt, claiming that hunting horns were heard in the distance. The hunt has denied all claims.
Avon and Somerset Police said: "We received a call at about 11.25am on Monday 7 October to report there were approximately a dozen or so hounds loose in various parts of Oake. We were told a small number of dogs had been struck by a vehicle or vehicles and therefore officers sought to slow down traffic and keep the animals safe by stopping them running into the road.
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"A member of the public assisted officers to identify the dogs' owner, and after a short amount of time a man arrived on a quadbike who had the dogs rounded up and collected. Officers then left the scene at about 1.20pm.
"A few hours later we were contacted by a member of the public who informed us a number of primary schoolchildren in the area had been taken inside while the incident occurred. As a result a member of the local neighbourhood team visited the school this week to provide reassurance."
John Petrie, senior campaigns manager for the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “It’s clear that a fox hunt was taking place and wreaked havoc on this otherwise peaceful village, scaring and intimidating local residents and school kids.
“It’s also clear they weren’t trail hunting, the discredited excuse commonly used by hunts as a smokescreen to hide old fashioned illegal fox hunting, as who on earth would lay a trial through a village and next to a school. It’s time for change and for fox hunting laws to be strengthened, with so called trail hunting banned, loopholes in the law removed, and custodial sentences introduced for those that break the law.”
Former veterinary nurse Rachael Pearson was so shaken up by what she saw she couldn't sleep that night: “As someone who works with animals, I found the treatment of the hounds absolutely disgusting. It’s shocking that fox hunting is still going on in this day and age and it must have been so upsetting for the school children. I couldn’t sleep that night.”
Fox hunting is illegal under The Hunting Act 2004. The crime is punishable by a fine.
Taunton Vale Harriers had been approached for comment but did not respond. However, a spokesperson for the group told Wellington News: "I was there, the league were not. It was three or four hounds milling around, no more than five. There were no foxes being chased, there were no children being terrorised."
The Taunton Vale Harriers spokesperson continued: "We were not near the school. Some PCSOs were there and helped us to get these young puppies into a car.”
The incident was reported to the League’s Animal Crimewatch service which enables the public to report incidents of animal cruelty. The public can phone the service on 0300 444 1234 or email crimewatch@league.org.uk or WhatsApp at 0755 278 8247.