McCartney challenged over hunting
5 April 2002
Members of the Royal Veterinary College challenge Sir Paul McCartney over claims that hunting is cruel
Sir Paul McCartney is facing a challenge by a group of vets after failing to provide evidence for his claims that hunting is cruel. Some 300 members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons have rebuked Sir Paul for failing to discuss his claims.
The vets’ group wrote to Sir Paul and other celebrities on 22 January, but have received no reply from him.
Dr Lewis Thomas MRCVS, spokesman for the group, said: “Our group (Vets for Hunting) has consistently maintained that a ban on hunting would be bad for the welfare of wildlife.
“A ban on foxhunting will not save the life nor improve the welfare of a single individual fox. On the contrary, it would in all probability lead to a net increase in the suffering of foxes and other quarry species, which is why we opposethe attempts to ban hunting.”
A recent NOP poll of 1,000 members of the RCVS revealed that 63% of vets in rural areas oppose a hunting ban on welfare grounds.
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