Stop Hunting Dog Rental

Hunting dog rental might sound fine, but the truth is these dogs suffer from neglect and abuse more often than not.  The dogs are starved to make them better hunters.  When a dog is considered to be an inferior hunter, the dog is left out in the woods to die.  When injured by a bear or other prey while hunting, their wounds and not properly treated.  They are treated no better then hunting equipment, not like the living beings that they are.  Many hunters engage in pack hunting and take down their prey without even lifting a finger.  Is this a fair hunt?  Who's hunting, the dogs or the hunter?   Other hunters take a long time to finally put a dear or bear out of its misery after being ripped apart by a pack of dogs.  Pack rental dog hunting is cruel and inhumane.  Dog rental makes pack hunting available to most hunt club members.  Renting dogs individually or in packs is cruel.  Hunt clubs do not treat their dogs like valuable living beings.  They are treated like inanimate disposable objects   Please sign my petition. Let's send out the message that man's best friend is not a piece of hunting equipment, but a living being who deserves better. 

Thank you.

Blessings
Nancy Venus
HPS, Copper Cauldron
Astral Crafts Inc.


Please see care 2 message below

An acquaintance was trying to relate to me that he understood what it meant to have a family dog. I was surprised since I knew he didn't have any pets and I asked, "So you've owned a dog before?"

He replied, "Well no, but I rent the same dog every year at my hunting club."

A little shocked by his answer and knowing that I really didn%u2019t want to hear his story, I found myself asking, "What?"

He continued, "Yeah, they rent dogs for the week while you are hunting and I've gotten attached to a German Shorthair Pointer."

"What happens when you're done," I asked. "She goes back to the club. It's where she lives," he replied.

I don't hunt and I wanted to give this guy a fair shake so we ended the conversation. I thought about the practice all day and even told myself that these Hunt Clubs could be the %u201Cgood guys%u201D who took good care of their dogs; even if it was only because they were part of their livelihood. But in my heart, I knew this probably wasn't the case.

Then just a couple of days later I received the magazine of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and inside was an article titled, "Hound Dog: No Life for a Dog."

It talked about another way hunt clubs use dogs. It is the cruel practice of sending a pack of about 40 hounds into the woods to track down deer, bear and other animals. It is cruel for not only the dogs, but for the animals being hunted.

The dogs are practically starved so they will be motivated for the hunt. Because they are so hungry and running in a pack, they can ravage a deer or small bear before the hunters come for their sport.

The poor dogs are treated more like hunting equipment than living creatures. They are kept in crowded kennels and never socialized. Most are covered with ticks and fleas and diseases like heartworm run wild. Bold numbers are spray painted on their sides to identify them. It is easier than naming the dogs. And with every hunt the hounds put their lives on the line for the hunters who treat them badly.

Some dogs are shot accidentally and some get tangled in the brush or lost in the woods. Other dogs have been mauled by bears or caught in barbed wire fences that surround the property.

And when these innocent creatures get pregnant, are deemed to be poor hunters or just get old, they are abandoned in the woods.

The lucky ones are rescued by people like Rabiah Seminole who is highlighted in the HSUS article. Her 40-acre property in Virginia backs into a hunting preserve. She has rescued dogs like Willy Wags, who had a bone sticking out of his leg and Chase who was so thin that the skin on his body drooped around him like a drape.

In an effort to stop this practice, the HSUS and other animal welfare organizations are proposing legislation to states like Virginia and North Carolina where the use of pack hounds is popular.

After learning about the miserable lives of these hound dogs, I decided to research the rental dog programs that my friend uses. Hunting clubs like Quail Point Hunting Preserve in northern California, proudly advertises its rent-a-dog line up. Prices range from $40 for a one-day rental, $25 per day if you rent for a full week and $425 for the entire season. They even have a "lease to own" program.

The hounds in these situations appear to be given more attention, training and socialization than the pack hounds. And when they are rented, a guide that knows each dog accompanies the group. But for those of us who share our lives with wonderful dogs, ask yourself this question: Would you want to see that type of life for one of your pets?

Warning video is graphic
Click here to link to watch a video about hound hunting

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