A women last night spoke of how she had to barricade herself in her home as snaring hounds from the Cheshire Hunt attempted to fight their way in through a cat-flap.
Lisa Rowlands said her bungalow at Wettenhall, near Tarporley, was besieged by about 20 hounds which terrified her two cats. After making a dash into the kitchen, she slammed the door shut – but dogs tried to get in through the cat-flap.
“Thank goodness I closed the door, otherwise the pack would have been in the kitchen. It could have been carnage,” she said. “I heard dogs barking outside and was confronted by about 20 snaring hounds.” She added that, while she herself did not agree with hunting, she had no strong views on people inviting hunts on to their land. “But it’s totally wrong for a hunt to let its hounds just charge across anyone’s land. This is not the first time this has happened. Last year one of my cats needed treatment after being bitten by a hunt dog.” Cheshire Hunt denied its meet was at Wettenhall yesterday, claiming that it was the Church Minshull area.
Janet Smart, from the League Against Cruel Sports said: “What happened to Lisa and her cats was awful but sadly nothing new. Last Saturday, hounds belonging to the Chairman of the Countryside Alliance attacked and ripped apart a pet cat in front of the owner. Just what do people have to do to try to protect their pets in their own homes?”
After the incident near her home, Lisa said that cars belonging to hunt supporters blocked her drive, preventing her from moving her own car out. She is not taking legal advice on what steps to take, and added: “I will be contacting the Committee of Inquiry into hunting so that it is fully aware of what has happened here.” The Inquiry is looking at the practical issues involved in hunting with dogs, how a ban could be implemented and what the consequence of a ban would be.
Mrs Smart added: “The inquiry into hunting which has been set up by the Government, must ensure it looks into the damage, havoc and distress hunting brings to rural life. Hunting is not just about suffering inflicted on wild animals but upon domestic animals as well.”
Hunt Details
Source: Liverpool Echo
