Born to Die: alleged leaked accounts reveal fate of unwanted foxhound puppies

Leaked accounts allege hunts kill surplus newborn foxhounds in secretive, brutal culls.

Weymouth Animal Rights has recently revealed deeply disturbing information about the fate of newborn foxhound puppies bred by hunts—details so brutal that it’s no surprise they remain hidden from public view.

While much attention focuses on the tragic shooting of adult hounds, what remains largely unknown and unspoken is the reported mass killing of day-old puppies.

The Cruel Cycle of Breeding and Disposal

Reportedly, each year Hunts breed new litters of foxhounds to replace adult hounds that are discarded - whether because they fail to meet the grade for hunting, suffer injury, or have the wrong composition. According to Weymouth Animal Rights, they were contacted with the information that hunts often breed up to five bitches (female hounds) at once, each producing litters ranging from “7 to 15 puppies”. This allows Hunts to “select” the puppies they want.

However, the number of female hounds bred may change because it will depend on the Hunt’s needs and pack size. For example, some Hunts may only breed one hound, whilst others may breed five. This can be seen through the posts of various Hunts welcoming litters online, like the Percy Hunt, Quorn Hunt and Hurworth Hunt. So, if a hunt requires 10 new hounds for the upcoming season, they might breed two bitches, each having up to 15 puppies each —resulting in 30 newborn pups. Of these, only 10 would be chosen, leaving up to 20 healthy puppies unwanted from the very start.

Weymouth Animal Rights go on to reveal something even more sickening, stating…

“Puppies can be rejected for something as trivial as having the wrong colouring; from the newborn replacement puppies that the hunt chose to keep, 65% will be bitches (for future breeding) and 35% will be dogs.”

The horrific reality of puppy disposal

The heartbreaking truth is that these surplus puppies are killed within 24 hours of birth.

Hunts reportedly claim they cannot take multiple healthy, day-old, puppies to a vet for euthanasia - likely because no ethical veterinary practice would agree to kill perfectly healthy newborns simply for being unwanted or having the wrong colouring. And because the puppies are too small and fragile to be safely shot, those tasked with their “disposal” allegedly resort to a barbaric method: smashing each tiny head against a hard surface, such as a wall - a violent act known as “thumping” or blunt force trauma.

It is alleged that to ensure they are dead, their limp, bloodied and bruised bodies are then submerged in a three gallon bucket of water, weighed down, and left for an hour before being discarded like garbage in the Hunt’s flesh bin.

These poor puppies never experience sunlight, fresh air, or the warmth of their mother’s care. Their brief existence is marked by cruelty from the very beginning, ending in needless suffering.

The Percy Hunt shared a photo of 11 newborn foxhound puppies on April 7th. It raises a difficult question—how many of them will live to see their fifth birthday?

This horror was once “legal” - but not anymore

Shockingly, this method of killing was used for decades as the “humane” way to cull piglets on farms. Thankfully, as of 2022, thumping—the blunt force trauma method—has been banned under UK animal welfare law.

If Hunts are still using this horrific practice to kill puppies it is beyond disgusting. It’s an illegal and glaring example of the cruelty and secrecy that permeate the hunting world and the urgent need for independent inspections and transparency in hunt kennels.

The unseen atrocity the hunts want to hide

If this sickening practice still happens, it could go on year after year, across hunts all over the UK. Meanwhile, Hunts have the audacity to argue against banning hunting by playing the victim and claiming concern for their hounds as a reason.

But the truth is, the breeding and killing of puppies continues unchecked - right under our noses.

The barbaric slaughter of foxes is just the surface of an industry steeped in cruelty. Beneath it lies a horrifying reality where countless innocent foxhounds—including puppies—are disposable objects: beaten, shot and discarded without mercy or care.

Even within the veterinary community, there are troubling signs of complicity. Leaked messages from a private pro-hunting veterinary group showed professionals speaking casually about foxhounds dying from mysterious illnesses, often linked to being fed raw meat. Illness, neglect, poor husbandry—these are not the exception, but the reality for many hunt hounds.

There is no justification for this. Not in the name of sport. Not in the name of tradition. Not ever.

The Hurworth Hunt posted a photo of four foxhound puppies on April 22nd. We can’t help but wonder—was this the full litter, or were their siblings killed when barely a day old, as some reports allege happens in hunts across the UK?

Government must act!

The government must act. The public must see. The media must speak out. Because the hunting industry is getting away with senseless and unnecessary killing, and no one—not the RSPCA, not the veterinary bodies, not the law—is holding them to account.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens behind the walls of the hunt kennels, this could be it, and the truth is heartbreaking.

And now that you know, will you stay silent?

Speak out today, contact your MP for a proper ban on hunting.

• Please show your support for Weymouth Animal Rights, who work tirelessly to stop this hunt from killing foxes. They face constant intimidation, but will not be deterred. Donate here.