Shout. Growling. Terror.
A huge turmoil, at the end of which there are only losers. This is not the beginning of a new thriller, but the reality of fox hunting by "going to ground" - a form of fox hunting. A hunting dog, on the hunter's command, goes into a den and tries to find a fox. The fox usually has cubs in the den, so it fights to the death.
The dog drives her out of the burrow, and if he doesn't kill her, the hunter shoots her. The hunter then digs up the cubs and either gives them to the dogs to tear apart or takes them into captivity, where they serve as bait for training dogs. The hunting dogs are only allowed to be trained non-contact, which means that the hunter puts the fox in a cage in a den, lets one dog after another approach it and they demonstrate their skills.
The fox and its cubs suffer during the "going to ground" - a form of fox hunting, but it is often dangerous for the hunting dog itself. Because of its cruelty, more and more hunters are abandoning this method, and last year the proportion of animals that were hunted again dropped, with only 4.5% of all foxes killed being hunted. Efforts are growing to end this outdated hunting practice and replace it with more effective methods.
The end of "going to ground" practice is being pushed by the organization Freedom for Animals, which runs the Den belongs to the fox (Nora patří lišce) campaign. Since the spring of 2024, the campaign has received over 66,000 signatures and citizens of the Czech Republic have sent more than 10,000 emails to politicians demanding that they decide on the end of this cruel practice.
Negotiations are currently underway with politicians about a possible legislative change and an end to this drastic hunting of foxes and their cubs. However, running a campaign is an expensive affair, so we appreciate every donor who contributes to help in the fight for foxes.
Help the foxes and donate with VAKOVAKO!
Give the foxes your vote and fight for a better future for them. Sign the initiative to end the cruel practice on www.norapatrilisce.cz.
