Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)

Hunt dogs rampage at cat rescue home

21 animals yet to be located

- BY DANNY BUCKLAND

SOME 21 animals are missing after a pack of hunt dogs rampaged in a cat sanctuary.

Staff spent an hour desperatel­y chasing off the foxhounds after they arrived in a “frenzy”.

Ex-model Celia Hammond, who runs the rescue home, said: “They were coming from all directions, all over the sanctuary and completely out of control.

“They had flushed out a deer and were chasing it across our land so were already in a frenzy. It was horrific.” Ms Hammond set up Greenacres sanctuary at Brede, East Sussex, 20 years ago.

Of some 100 cats there, 21 are yet to been found. It is not known if any were hurt.

Staff claim the controvers­ial East Sussex and Romney Marsh Hunt was staging a hunt when it lost control of its pack of dogs.

In November, footage appeared to show one member beating a hunt saboteur with a riding crop. Greenacres said the hunt has strict instructio­ns not to use their 100-acre plot of land.

Carolyn Mcbeath, assistant manager, said: “We work hard to provide a safe environmen­t for the cats. Everyone is devastated.

“The pack split, some charged off into woodland, others were chasing around the sanctuary.

“They obviously got hold of something because there was a horrible noise and it took them an hour to get [the dogs] back.”

ESRMH said they had been “legally trail-hunting”, adding: “It is suspected a few hounds might have deviated on to the scent of a live quarry, which they followed into the sanctuary.

“Hunt staff immediatel­y removed them with the help of police... apologised to the owners and mutually agreed the hunt would repair any damage to fencing.” Sussex Police said there was no report of any offence.

 ??  ?? ORDEAL Celia and rescue cat
ORDEAL Celia and rescue cat

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