There are so many cruelties being perpetrated against animals worldwide that hunting with dogs is comparatively inoffensive.

There are two aspects of the sport which I feel should be discontinued. When a fox escapes his pursuers and "goes to earth", it is frequently dug up by the huntsmen. This is an unsportsmanlike gesture.

I also deplore "cubbing", which takes unfair advantage of small, defenceless animals who harm no one.

Marauding dogs do even more harm to sheep and lambs than foxes. One can hardly expect a tired, overworked farmer to stay up all night with a shotgun in the hope of meeting the odd fox, so there must be some alternative.

The thought of any fox dying in agony in a vicious snare appals me. There are rabbits and people's pet cats and dogs to consider as these animals could suffer a like fate as well.

Of course, deer hunting should be banned. A fleeing stag has nowhere to hide and runs on and on until he drops from exhaustion, often dead. Trained marksmen are surely the answer to this problem. Much as we all love deer, we can have too many of them.

-Margery Watts, Isaacs Lane, Haywards Heath