Fox Hunters Seek To Be ‘Protected Minority Group’ Under Equality Laws

A UK hunting lobby group is seeking protection as a minority group under equality legislation for hunters who use animals to hunt wildlife. The Hunting Kind believes they qualify as a protected minority group under the Equality Act and have faced discrimination. They argue that hunting is a natural and humane form of pest control, aiming to repeal the Hunting Act 2004 that banned hunting animals with dogs.

Opposition groups, such as Protect the Wild and Hunt saboteurs, criticize the Hunting Kind's plan as making a mockery of the Equality Act and deny that hunting is cruel. Public opinion in the UK is largely against fox hunting, with a majority of people wanting to see the Hunting Act strengthened. The Labour government has promised to close loopholes in the law to better protect wildlife from hunting practices.