The Hunting Act (2004) regulates terrier work In England and Wales, for full details of the Act click here.
Summary: This Act (schedule 1 paragraph 2) permits the use of a single dog below ground to flush out wild mammals solely for the purpose of preventing or reducing serious damage to game birds or wild birds being kept or preserved to be shot. The person must carry with them written permission and intend to shoot the wild mammal as soon as possible after it is flushed.
All reasonable steps must be taken to prevent risk or injury to the dog and the manner in which it is used must comply with the following code issued by the Secretary of State:
Under the Act nothing other than nets may be placed over entrance/exit holes during the flushing. It is not permitted to use a terrier to locate, dig down and dispatch the quarry. But if the dog is removed, relocated, secured and not used again, then the quarry may be dug down to and dispatched. The hunting of rats and rabbits is exempt from the above, but does require the landowner or occupiers permission in order to be exempt. For full details of the code, click here.
To assist its members and others, to more fully understand and comply with the Act. The N.W.T.F. and the Jack Russell Terrier Club of Great Britain have jointly funded the printing of 20,000 explanatory postcards which have been distributed at Working Terrier Shows and Game Fairs across the country. The front of the postcard serves as written permission from the landowner and the reverse summarises the legal requirements under the Act (see examples below).
To download for printing on your own computer, click here.
The Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002 This Act regulates terrier work in Scotland, for full details of the Act click here.
Summary: Sections 2 & 5 of the Act permit the use of a dog to flush both mink and foxes from below ground providing that -
The Act also permits (subject to the above requirements), the use of a dog below ground in order to locate a fox cub(s) which that person reasonably believes is orphaned. But only if that person takes reasonable steps to ensure that once located the cub is despatched by a single dog, or otherwise killed as humanely as possible.
As in
To download for printing on your own computer, click here.