House of Commons OKs Fox Hunting Ban

Britain’s hotly debated legislation to ban fox hunting cleared the House of Commons as hunt supporters with hundreds of dogs protested noisily outside. The bill now goes to the House of Lords, where pro-hunting peers are likely to fight it.

Although opponents of fox hunting insist that it is a cruel practice, supporters say it is a traditional and important way to control the fox population. A government compromise would have banned fox hunting with dogs except where it would be licensed as the least cruel option. But the compromise was replaced with the all-out ban.