Boy watches in horror as hounds chase pet in Petworth
Kian Wickenden with his dog Mya. C120246-4
A mother and her nine-year-old son watched helplessly as a pack of hounds chased their pet terrier around a lake in Petworth Park on Sunday.
Mya, a three-year-old Lakeland terrier, fled in terror as mink hounds from the Wealden pack, on exercise in the park, pursued her until in panic she leapt into the water and made for a nearby island.
After the hounds had been called off, it took Linda Wickenden and her autistic son, Kian, more than an hour to coax the petrified pet to swim back from her hiding place.
Miss Wickenden, who lives in Petworth, said on Monday: “My son and I were distraught.
“Kian has Asperger’s syndrome and he does not have many friends. That dog is his companion and his life.”
The pair were walking around the lake on the A272 side of the park at about 11.15am when Miss Wickenden said they encountered the ‘hunting pack’ all roaming freely.
The Wealden mink hounds are kennelled at Petworth Park under an arrangement with the Chiddingfold, Leconfield and Cowdray Fox Hunt.
Nick Bamber, chairman of the CLC, said two Welsh mink hounds had recently been drafted into the Wealden pack.
They had been ‘coupled’ by a lead to more experienced hounds during exercise but on Sunday they were free for the first time.
“They got excited and started to hunt the terrier,” Mr Bamber said. “We apologise to the lady and her son for the upsetting incident. The hounds in question are being moved on to a Welsh pack.”
For the full story, see this week’s Midhurst and Petworth Observer out today (Thursday, February 23).
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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Comments
There are 5 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
Dave300573
Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 07:07 PMJust to avoid confusion petworth park is not a park with swings and slides. It is the grounds of a country houses where the kennels of these hounds are situated.
kmbt
Friday, February 24, 2012 at 04:20 PMThe poor dog and the poor boy, they must both be completely traumatised by this whole event. I'm tired of reading these horrific stories of hounds chasingkilling peoples pets, hounds being killed themselves by venturing UNCONTROLLED onto railway lines, hounds running wild on people’s PRIVATE property followed by arrogant, bullyboy so called men, (and women), who seem to think they have the right to do whatever they please, as anyone who doesn’t agreed with them is clearly a ‘townie’ and has no idea about the countryside! I am not a townie and grew up in the countryside surrounded by wildlife on our land and in the wild, so I do know ‘how the countryside works’ and I wholeheartedly oppose everything these barbaric people stand for. When will these people be held accountable for the terror, misery, destruction, pain and suffering they cause to people and animals?
Billy007
Friday, February 24, 2012 at 12:27 PMComment removed by moderator
SuzieB
Friday, February 24, 2012 at 11:09 AMThere are so many reports of hunting hounds chasing and sometimes killing pets, even in private gardens and playgrounds, as well as running through fields of livestock and on to roads and railway lines. If anyone else had out of control dogs causing chaos they would be prosecuted. Why should there be separate laws for hunting hounds?
DavidCameron
Friday, February 24, 2012 at 10:26 AMI would have rather hoped that Nick Bamber would also have been moved on to a Welsh pack. Clearly Nick Bamber has lost the plot and should resign as chairman of CLC
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