'Hush money' offer after staghounds kill terrier

[Paul T]

After reading this, hunts seem to be acting even more like secretive little sects.

'Hush money' offer after staghounds kill terrier

By Richard Savill

(Filed: 23/08/2006)

A dog owner has criticised a stag hunt for trying to buy her silence after her terrier was ripped apart by two of its hounds outside her home.

Catherine Hodgson, a magistrate who is chairman of the North Devon bench, tried to beat the hounds and used her body as a human shield in a vain attempt to protect her pet, Pippa.

But the 14-year-old Jack Russell border cross was left "horribly wounded" and had to be put down, she said.

Tiverton Staghounds offered her £1,000 in compensation for "shock and trauma" on condition she remained silent. Later, however, the hunt withdrew the confidentiality clause when Mrs Hodgson of East Worlington, Devon, pointed out that she had a duty to inform police.

She said: "When we got the hunt's letter offering hush money it made me so angry. I want everyone to know what happened."

The hunt's solicitors offered the compensation and promised to pay vet bills plus the cost of a new dog. They sought confidentiality but, when the Hodgsons refused, the firm agreed this would be "inappropriate". The couple have now accepted the compensation.

The joint master of Tiverton Staghounds, John Lucas, said both hounds involved had been destroyed. "I have apologised profusely to the couple concerned," he said.

 

[severnmiles]

Awww.

Ah well, at 14 I'm sure it was on its last legs... :shocked: did I say that?

Anymore info as to how this happened?

 

[combat_claire]

I'm sure animal lovers across the country are rejoicing at the destruction of 2 perfectly healthy staghounds.

 

[AlanE]

No, haven't heard of this, but it does make me concerned for the independence of the judiciary. Here was a magistrate offered compensation who only wanted publicity against hunting. Did she deliberately put the terrier in that position, I wonder? It does seem to suggest she cared nothing for the animal, and says more about her uncaring attitude to the attempt to recompense her for a genuine accident, doesnt it?

 

[Paul T]

Why aren't I surprised by the responses to this so far? Rather than criticise the hunt for attempting to silence the dog owner and being out of control in the first place, pros instead choose to either blame the dog owner or argue it doesn't matter because the dog was getting on anyway. Oh, and animal welfare supporters will supposedly be rejoicing at the fact that two hounds got the bullet.

No wonder you lot lost the battle to prevent a hunt ban.

 

[Doreys_Mum]

How can dogs who live with terriers 100% of the time suddenly want to kill one?

*is confused*

Presumably Pippa was one of those badly trained dogs who went for the hounds first cos her owner had allowed her to be a yappy little brat that attacked other people's dogs...

 

[LACS]

"I'm sure animal lovers across the country are rejoicing at the destruction of 2 perfectly healthy staghounds. "

Unbelievable! How many healthy hounds do hunts shoot a year?

 

[LACS]

Weird cult member!

 

[Paul T]

Yet another pro who thinks it was the dead terrier owner's fault

 

[Clodagh]

I think thats really sad, bet the dogs owner was devastated, I would have been.
Our hounds are fine with terriers, I wonder they were hound 'puppies'? It was the right thing for them to be destroyed, as they would have been if they had killed a sheep or anything else.

 

[Paul T]

Yes, I'm sure any right-minded dog owner would be devastated. I don't think the same could be said of the hunters involved - all they wanted to do is hush it all up.

 

[severnmiles]

How can dogs who live with terriers 100% of the time suddenly want to kill one?

*is confused*

Presumably Pippa was one of those badly trained dogs who went for the hounds first cos her owner had allowed her to be a yappy little brat that attacked other people's dogs...

I find it hard to believe too, I've seen some of the terriermen's terriers loose with the hounds and they don't take a blind bit of notice, all of our hounds are really friendly towards people dogs at the meets. I also struggle to understand how an animal that hunts by scent can kill something by sight. I've seen a fox run up a hill in front of a pack of hounds before(on a day that there was little scent) and the hounds didn't take a blind bit of notice.

Are we sure that the terrier didn't attack the hounds and they bit back in defense?

 

[severnmiles]

Yes, I'm sure any right-minded dog owner would be devastated. I don't think the same could be said of the hunters involved - all they wanted to do is hush it all up.

Karl, please read my post above, was the 'delightful' Pippa a nippy terrier? Did she attack the hounds? Of course the owner would NEVER admit that her beloved terrier did.

Thats something that puzzles me aswell, how so many antis have terriers and lurchers as pets, what do they think they were bred for?

 

[Paul T]

"Of course the owner would NEVER admit that her beloved terrier did."

Of course pros on this thread would NEVER admit that their beloved hunts are in the wrong.

 

[severnmiles]

Nope, not when I wasn't there, didn't witness the incident and know little, bar what some paper has written, we all know they like glamourising things.

 

[Paul T]

I didn't live in South Africa during the 1970s but I know the apartheid regime was wrong.

Can you not bring yourself to condemn Nazi Germany because you weren't there at the time?

 

[CARREG]

I think the hunt should have been held responsible for the incident, they did the right thing shooting the culprits, the fact they tried to cover it up was disgraceful and Cathrine Hodgeson should be ashamed of herself for allowing her dog to be outside unsupervised in the first place...........Carreg

 

[severnmiles]

Hmm, apparently, I've never read the books but there was alot more to the Nazi thing than meets the eye.

And no, I wasn't there and know little about the whole thing so I won't comment.

Why do you find it so hard to believe that if you have little or no knowledge of something you shouldn't have a view.

I know the basic layout of the insides of a humanbeing, doesn't make me a qualified surgeon though does it?

 

[LACS]

"Cathrine Hodgeson should be ashamed of herself for allowing her dog to be outside unsupervised in the first place"

I know - just imagine leaving a dog to its own devices, you know, without a dog minder, just sitting there when EVERYONE knows at any moment some stag hunts could run up and rip it apart!!! Hodgeson only has herself to blame for this perfectly forseeable albeit unfortunate accident! VERY VERY VERY ANGRY INDEED!!!

 

[LACS]

Can the author of...

"Why do you find it so hard to believe that if you have little or no knowledge of something you shouldn't have a view"

be related to the author of...

"I've never read the books but there was alot more to the Nazi thing than meets the eye"???

 

[severnmiles]

Can the author of...

"Why do you find it so hard to believe that if you have little or no knowledge of something you shouldn't have a view"

be related to the author of...

"I've never read the books but there was alot more to the Nazi thing than meets the eye"???

Only because my Grandfather has all of the books, he must be one of the only people who went through both wars to not of hated the Germans. And yes my mothers uncle was a jew!

I don't know enough to comment but I know there is more to it from what he has told me.

Understand now, arseh#le? :grin:

 

[CARREG]

As a responsible dog owner my dogs are never allowed off their leads in areas open to the public. I genuinley feel sorry for her but let this be a harsh lesson............Carreg

 

[LACS]

So you monitor your dogs so conscientiously that one has never been stolen, yeah?

 

[CARREG]

Ive had my kennels broken into and dogs stolen, my dogs are never left unattended in or on property that is open to the public, as a responsible owner it is my duty to see that my dogs are not involved in any type of incident that leads to injury to anyone or anything.........I wonder if your support for this woman would be the same if her dog had run out in front of a car causing it to swerve and perhaps run over a child..........Carreg

 

[severnmiles]

I do believe he said in public!

Don't know how many dogs ever get stolen in public but there we are.

 

[LACS]

"I wonder if your support for this woman would be the same if her dog had run out in front of a car causing it to swerve and perhaps run over a child........."

Do you think you're being just a little bit melodramatic? And by the way I find it just a little bit surprising to listen to sanctimonious claptrap about caring for dogs from a terrierman of all people; and, more to the point, one who runs a site where the members post pictures of their injured dogs or describe in graphic detail how their dog just died underground.

 

[CARREG]

"....Do you think you're being just a little bit melodramatic..."........No there have been thousands of incidents involving unattended dogs cars and children, the fact is the only reason you are supporting this woman is because a hunt is involved

".....And by the way I find it just a little bit surprising to listen to sanctimonious claptrap about caring for dogs from a terrierman of all people; and, more to the point, one who runs a site where the members post pictures of their injured dogs or describe in graphic detail how their dog just died underground..."
lol...lol...lol....you're clutching now fella, what suprises me is the drivel you post when you know absolutely nothing about me, yes I work terriers, yes I run MOOCHERS,but after that you have no idea, let it rest fella like all the other trolls you're getting boring...............Carreg

 

[severnmiles]

LACS, you've managed to insult my OH.

This is just the sort of comment I expected from the likes of you. Tarr everyone with the same brush. I believe that there are good antis..like Endymion and RS for instance so is it so hard to actually believe that terriermen look after and care about their dogs.

My OH is having new kennels built, they are that nice, I could live in them, if he didn't care for his dogs why would he build them such nice kennels? He would shove them in a dark shed. His dogs are kept just as well as the half of this country and better than the other half!

Perhaps you should learn something about terriermen and huntsmen...their dogs come above all else (even their women sometimes ).

I find your comments worrying.

 

[CARREG]

Severn
LACS is spewing the same old anti rhetoric bullshit that he's read on the net, take it all with a pinch of salt, a very big pinch, a block or so...lol...lol..........Carreg

 

[Doreys_Mum]

How can dogs who live with terriers 100% of the time suddenly want to kill one?

*is confused*

Presumably Pippa was one of those badly trained dogs who went for the hounds first cos her owner had allowed her to be a yappy little brat that attacked other people's dogs...

I find it hard to believe too, I've seen some of the terriermen's terriers loose with the hounds and they don't take a blind bit of notice, all of our hounds are really friendly towards people dogs at the meets. I also struggle to understand how an animal that hunts by scent can kill something by sight. I've seen a fox run up a hill in front of a pack of hounds before(on a day that there was little scent) and the hounds didn't take a blind bit of notice.

Are we sure that the terrier didn't attack the hounds and they bit back in defense?

Our hunt terriers live in kennels with hounds, the hounds are scared of these pint sized horrors!! They certainly run the kennel!

They're actually scared of most other dogs... I could imagine some of the stroppier dogs picking fights with other canines, but most of them run with their tails between their legs!

I only mentioned that Pippa might be a badly trained dog cos terriers are notorious in the wrong hands! But I'm glad someone agrees!!!