End Terrier Work on Trail Hunts: Close the Loophole
The Loophole that Allows Fox Hunting to Continue
For years, the Hunting Act of 2004 was claimed to be a significant step forward in the battle to protect wildlife, but we know it fell short, it didn’t hit the mark and for the last 20 years wildlife has continued to suffer due dangerous loopholes that allow hunts to get off scot free and deceive the public, whilst they continue fox hunting. But among the many loopholes, there is one we can stop. This loophole exists in the form of terrier work during trail hunts and It's time to close it.
What is terrier work on trail hunts, and why is it so insidious?
Trail hunts are not supposed to be searching for live foxes, they are only meant to follow an artificial scent trail. Legally, they are not allowed to conduct pest control. If a trail hunt finds and chases a live fox, this is illegal. If the fox goes to ground (seeks refuge in a den), they should be left alone. However, hunts exploit a legal loophole, Schedule 1, Paragraph 2 of the Hunting Act, to claim they are doing “pest control” and continue the hunt by calling in terriermen to dig out the fox. But, this is illegal hunting. And it’s being done under the guise of a legal activity, thanks to the approval of a Code of Practice that facilitates this loophole.
What Does Terrier Work Look Like?
Imagine a beautiful, clever, fox, racing through the countryside, chased by a pack of hounds. But it’s not the hounds’ fault, they’ve been trained, manipulated to follow. Now, instead of stopping the illegal pursuit, the “‘trail” hunt presses on. This fox, desperate for survival, “goes to ground”, seeking refuge deep underground, hoping to escape. But hope is fleeting.
Because now, the “trail” hunt call the terriermen. They arrive, bringing spades and terriers, and begin to dig frantically into the earth, right where the fox has hidden. They send their dogs (terriers) down into the earth to locate the terrified fox, whose only crime is trying to survive. And when they find them? They drag them out of their hiding place, terrified, exhausted and broken.
This is where sickening acts of cruelty begin. The fox is often killed in an instant, via spade, gun or harrowingly they get ripped apart by the hounds, or thrown to them, helpless. Or worse still the poor fox is captured, bagged, and taken to away to be hunted or used in training, they endure the same brutal fate all the same.
This is not “trail hunting.” This is not a game. This is an appalling, illegal practice masquerading as something legitimate and it’s happening every hunting season. Having terriermen on hunts is a thin, deceitful smokescreen, covering up an act of cruelty that we cannot, and should not, ignore.
This is terrier work. And it’s time to stop it.
Above shows footage that West Cornwall Hunt Saboteurs captured of a dig out last year. This happened in broad daylight at a joint meet of the East Cornwall & Taunton Vale Hunts on the 2/3/24 at Davidstowe , Cornwall.
West Cornwall Hunt Sabs clearly captured on film the terriermen, with terriers digging at the earth. The huntsmen can be seen waiting at the top of the hill, but this case was dropped. Yet, the criminality is clear, the fact they were illegally fox hunting is clear. This is why our government must end terrier work on trail hunts.
The Loophole and How It’s Abused
When hunts know they’ve lost the scent of a live fox and the animal has gone to ground, they cry “accident” and bring in the terriermen. These so-called “pest controllers” dig into the earth, hunting down the fox, dragging it out of its refuge, and continuing the hunt. The entire system is rigged — and the fox is the one who suffers the most.
Let’s be clear: there is no legitimate reason why terriermen or terriers should be present during a trail hunt. Trail hunts are not supposed to be about hunting live foxes. They are not meant to track, chase, or kill a fox. But that’s exactly what they do — or at least, that’s what they claim isn’t happening. The truth, though, is far more sinister.
This is the heart of the problem: hunts use the loophole as a disguise for cruelty. And the fox, caught in the middle, pays the ultimate price
What Needs to Happen?
The solution to this crisis is simple and immediate. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) must withdraw its approval of the current Code of Practice for the use of dogs underground in fox control on trail hunts. This action alone would close the loophole that allows illegal hunting to continue under the guise of trail hunting. It does not require new laws. It is a decision within Defra’s power to make — and it could be made today.
Closing this loophole would:
Immediately make all terrier work illegal on trail hunts- as it should be.
Simplify enforcement, as hunts could no longer claim the use of terriermen, and presence of terriers and digging equipment, as part of their “trail hunting” activities.
Strengthen police confidence in prosecuting those breaking the law.
Send a clear message that the UK will no longer tolerate animal cruelty masquerading as sport.
The Evidence is Clear
Our annual hunting report showed that in the 2024–25 season, at least 11 separate incidents of foxes being dug out were directly linked to so-called trail hunts. Leaked documents even show the British Hound Sports Association charging terriermen to be “registered,” despite the fact they have no legal role in trail hunting.
More disturbingly, in 2020, the Hunting Office admitted that terriermen were the “soft underbelly” of trail hunting, acknowledging the vulnerability of the exemption they exploit. It’s clear: the system is rigged to facilitate illegal hunting under the guise of a legal activity.
The Immediate Action Required
What needs to happen now is clear and urgent. Defra must act to:
Withdraw approval of the current Code of Practice for the use of dogs underground.
Publicly confirm that terrier work has no place in lawful trail hunting.
Commit to blocking any future Codes of Practice that could once again be used to exploit this loophole.
This is not a complex legislative issue. It is a matter of closing a regulatory loophole that continues to facilitate cruelty. It is a decision that can be made now, without the need for long debates or parliamentary votes.
You Have the Power to End This Cruelty
This is our moment. A single decision from Defra could put an end to terrier work on trail hunts. It would be a massive step in ending the abuse that has continued to plague wildlife in the UK for years. Defra has the power to make this happen. Will they act, or will they continue to let foxes suffer under the false pretense of “trail hunting”?
The time to act is now. Close the loophole. End terrier work on trail hunts. Protect our wildlife.
Secretary of State, it’s time to act.
I will be running and walking for 24 hours around Parliament — not for fun, not for fitness, but because I’m furious. Furious at the state of British wildlife. Furious at a Government that lets nature die while pretending everything is fine. Furious that, no matter who’s in power, the mission seems to stay the same: destroy nature, kill wildlife, and sacrifice everything for profit. Labour promised to lead on animal welfare — but a year on, animals are still being slaughtered, wild places bulldozed, promises broken.
They’re not leading. They’re hiding.
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will tear through what’s left of our natural world. The badger cull continues, even after they admitted it doesn’t work. Foxes, hares, deer — still hunted while hunts mock the law. And still, the Government dithers, terrified of upsetting countryside elites.
So this isn’t just a run. It’s a protest. On Monday 1st September — the very day Parliament returns — I’ll run as many 5km loops around it as I can in 24 hours. I want them to see we are angry, we are growing, we are not going anywhere. This is a message: we’re done waiting.
I’m asking you to stand with me. Help raise £1,000 for every hour I’m out there — £24,000 to build Protect the Wild into an even stronger force for good.
So far we’ve raised just over £10k in the first week which is just incredible.
It would be amazing to reach the target by 1st September, let’s do this! :)
Brilliant! Why do you need terrier men if you’re trail hunting?!
Signed and sent ✊!!