As a life long resident of…

As a life long resident of Ontario, a 30 year veteran of the Toronto Police Service, and owner of a bloodhound I firmly reject the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s proposal to allow new licences and the transfer of licences for train and trial areas in Ontario.

Although I am not a hunter myself I have many colleagues who are, and I respect their decision to hunt. I believe them to be for the most part ethical, and honest in their hunting practices following an ethos to cause the least amount of pain and suffering to the animals they hunt.

I believe this to be true for the majority of hunters.

Apparently I was wrong.

I was horrified to learn that the Provincial Government is intending to expand the number of licences for penned dog hunting facilities due to the lobbying of the Sporting Dog Association and the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters

This practice is nothing short of sadistic and barbaric.

There is nothing “sporting” in releasing a pack of hounds in an enclosed compound to literally tear apart a captive wild animal. Alternately, having a pack of hounds run a wild animal to exhaustion only to have it violently shredded while owners track their dogs via GPS collars in vehicles is equally reprehensible.

I seriously question the kind of person that would choose to participate in such a sadistic and barbaric blood letting practice with their dog(s).

Hounds are not natural born killers. This behaviour has to be trained. Ironically, training methods are similar to those used in the training of dogs for the illegal practice of dog fighting.

I love my dogs, and I cannot imagine exposing my bloodhound to the training techniques required to promote such an intense blood lust.

This inhumane practice must be ended.

Thank you.