Position statement on hunting with dogs, April 2025

The VAWM has revised its position statement on hunting with dogs, to bring it up to date. The new version takes account of the latest research, including a study showing that using a full pack of dogs is more effective for flushing quarry than just a pair of them, the British Trust for Ornithology’s Mammal Survey showing the decline in the fox population in many rural areas, and fieldwork by the environment-and-conservation writer, Charlie Pye-Smith. It also replaces its former use of the word “hounds”, with the word “dogs”, recognizing that people with little knowledge of hunting are sometimes unaware that hunting is a natural behaviour for most dogs.

Please click here to read the new position statement in full.