Stand up for the countryside: reject the Hunting with Dogs Bill

The countryside is not a museum, it is a working landscape shaped by generations of farmers, gamekeepers, conservationists, and responsible dog handlers. Hunting with dogs, and the use of working dogs, remains central to wildlife management, pest control, conservation, and rural livelihoods across Northern Ireland.

As the Countryside Alliance, we are clear: John Blair MLA’s Hunting with Dogs Bill is flawed, unworkable and out of touch with rural reality.

A Bill that gets it wrong

This legislation fails to properly distinguish between:

• lawful land and wildlife management
• responsible hunting practices
• essential working dog use in farming and conservation

That lack of clarity creates confusion, uncertainty, and the real risk of criminalising legitimate countryside activity.

Serious real-world consequences

If passed, this Bill could:

• undermine pest control that protects livestock and crops
• disrupt conservation work protecting wildlife and habitats
• restrict the training and use of working dogs, including gundogs, terriers and hounds
• create legal uncertainty for farmers, gamekeepers, hunt staff and land managers

This is not just a rural issue. It risks impacting every dog owner in Northern Ireland through unclear and overreaching provisions.

Working dogs are essential

Working dogs are not optional extras in the countryside, they are fundamental tools of responsible land management.

Gundogs retrieve humanely and efficiently. Terriers are used for targeted pest control. Hounds form part of long-established, structured management systems that support both agriculture and conservation.

These dogs are highly trained, carefully managed, and essential to modern countryside stewardship.

No clear evidence or proper consultation

Northern Ireland already has strong animal welfare laws. There is no clear evidence that this Bill will improve welfare outcomes.

What is clear is that it has not been properly shaped by those who understand rural life and land management in practice.

Good law must be:

• practical
• evidence-based
• clear and enforceable
• grounded in real-world experience

This Bill is none of those things.

Take action now

We are urging everyone who values the countryside and responsible dog ownership to act now.

👉 Use the e-lobby today

Send a clear message to your MLA: https://www.countryside-alliance.org/reject-john-blairs-hunting-with-dogs-bill

Do not support John Blair MLA’s Hunting with Dogs Bill.

This is a vital opportunity to demonstrate the strength of opposition to legislation that could:

• damage rural livelihoods
• restrict responsible dog ownership
• undermine lawful countryside management
• weaken effective wildlife control

This is bigger than hunting

This is about protecting a way of life, safeguarding rural skills and ensuring laws are based on understanding, not assumption or misunderstanding of the countryside.

If this Bill proceeds, the consequences will extend far beyond rural communities.