LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Chronicle (Levin), 1 July 1947, Page 2

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

THE CRUEL SIDE OF "BLOOD" SFORT gir, — From time to time your paper gives accQunts of "hunts" iifcid in dinerent parts of - the disoricc. One reads such items as "a nare was pufc up," or "the hounds found their quarry and made a kffl" , 4. • Do your readers ever stop to imagine what misery and cruel.y are contamed in such few words, much more even than in a descripaon of fox hunting? The hare is the most timid of all animals — » • even proverbially, so, for do we not say " as -timid as a hare"? We nave only to exercise our imagination, feebly in comparison with realhy, to comprehend a little of the agony of the tortured creature as it is pursued by a pack of hounds, and -then torn to pieces while it is still alive and in full possession of its senses and feeling It is not a pretty picture to contemplate. Do the ladies who have "a cheery fire and steaming cups of -tea" for the valiant hunters on their return ever visualise the culminating scene of ihe hunt? I refer to the actual dismemberment of the little animal while it is still alive and conscious. I do not think many worthy people are really as cruel as all ihat\ There is a mistaken feeling, however, that to hunt is fashionable — quite the smart thing to do, and vhere is a snobbish desire to follow fashion. As a matter of fact, there has been a great decline of late years in England in all forms of "blood" sport, including fox and stag hunting. Public conscience is awakening. , I hope ithis letter will be succeeded by others from the many readers of "The Chronicle" who desire as ardently as the writer for the cessation of "blood" sport. There is surely enough cruelty in the world at the present time without adding to it for the sake of a little selfish pleasure. Yours etc., "MARSYAS." Otaki, June 29.