AKC Alert New Hampshire – Training of Hunting Dogs at Risk

Dec 17, 2021 | 2 Minutes

The American Kennel Club (AKC) believes that, as early as January, New Hampshire House Bill 1308 will have a legislative hearing, during which lawmakers will decide whether beagle clubs should continue to be allowed to host field trials and capture 20 wild hare annually for purposes of training their scent hounds. If adopted, the bill would ban the capture, possession, and propagation of hares and rabbits for hunting dog training and field trials in New Hampshire.

The complete elimination of beagle training and competition events would constitute a serious assault on the sport of hunting with dogs.

HISTORY: After a failed petition attempt in 2020 to repeal New Hampshire Fish and Game Commission (the Commission) rules authorizing limited hare capture under specific humane conditions, New Hampshire’s Voices of Wildlife (VOW) is promoting HB 1308 as another means of accomplishing their goals. AKC and others submitted letters objecting to this petition. In response to VOW’s allegations that hares are a vulnerable population and captive hares fail to thrive, the Commission rejected the petition. The Commission consistently maintains New Hampshire’s hare population is healthy. A minor edit to the Commission’s rule requiring periodic veterinary examination of club hares was made allowing conservation officers to randomly select hares for examinations.