Labour vows to outlaw trail hunting in crackdown on animal cruelty

Labour will today pledge to end trail hunting as part of a major crackdown on animal cruelty.

To protect Britain’s pets, the party has vowed to introduce the biggest boost to animal welfare in a generation. 

They will end the illegal smuggling of pets including kittens, stop illegal puppy farming and ban the sale of animals with cropped ears.

Labour will also stop the import of ‘trophies’ taken from the body parts of slaughtered endangered animals such as elephants, lions and hippos, bringing back the Hunting Trophies Bill in full and working with affected countries to strengthen conservation.

Labour has also vowed to reintroduce the Kept Animals Bill, dropped by the Tories, to prohibit the importation of dogs and cats with fashion-based mutilations.

And they would ban the use of snare traps and the importation of heavily pregnant cats and dogs, as well as accelerate the phasing out of animal testing.

Labour said it would introduce a Strategic Advisory Board to bring together experts from academia, industry and charities to advise on phasing out the use of dogs, minipigs and rabbits in the testing of products. 

But the party risks stoking a fresh fox-hunting row with its plans to end trail hunting by closing what the party describes as ‘loopholes’ that have allowed the ‘illegal hunting of foxes, deer, and hares to continue’.

Traditional hunting with dogs was banned by Labour in 2004, but trail hunting – which replicates it but without an animal being chased or killed – is still allowed. It involves people on foot or horseback following a scent along a predetermined route with hounds or beagles.

However, trail hunting is controversial – with allegations that the practice can be used as a cover for traditional hunting.

The National Trust stopped issuing licences for trail hunts on its land in 2021.

Shadow environment secretary Steve Reed told the Mail: ‘For too long, too many animals, including the world’s most endangered species, have been left to suffer in silence.

‘The Conservatives are on the side of animal cruelty. Labour will end it.

‘The next Labour government will introduce the biggest boost to animal welfare in a generation to end animal cruelty and protect Britain’s most loved pets.’

Labour accused the Tories of having U-turned on 12 animal welfare promises during their time in government. Animal rights campaigner Will Young backed Labour’s plans, saying: ‘A vote for Labour is a vote to end animal suffering.’

The 2002 Pop Idol winner added: ‘Animals across Britain and the world are subjected to horrific cruelty – from puppies bred in appalling conditions for profit, rabbits used in the testing of consumer products and foxes hunted down by an aggressive pack of dogs.

‘Animal cruelty must be brought to an end.’

Charities, including Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, also gave their support. Peter Laurie, chief executive at Battersea, said they were ‘greatly encouraged to see a number of animal welfare issues’.

And Peter Kemple Hardy, World Animal Protection UK campaigns director, said: ‘As a nation of animal lovers the vast majority of the UK wants to see an end to brutal forms of animal exploitation.

‘It is encouraging to see animal welfare prioritised in this way.’