Fox penning is a blood sport in which dozens of dogs compete in a fenced-in area to chase—and sometimes rip apart—foxes and coyotes. Trapped in the wild and sold to fox pens, often in other states, the fox or coyote must run for his life inside fences where there is no hope of getting away.
Grisly from start to finish, fox penning begins when the steel jaws of a leghold trap snap shut on a coyote or fox, inflicting terrible pain. A trapper removes the animal from the trap and packs her into a cage with other injured animals.
The caged animals may be hauled hundreds of miles. With no food or water, some animals die on the trip. Once bought by pen operators, the foxes and coyotes provide amusement for participants who travel from state to state to wager on their dogs.
With dogs tearing apart the captive animals, there is a constant demand for fresh wildlife for the fox pens.
Florida Bans Fox Pens
Florida's Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission unanimously decided to prohibit fox and coyote pens in their state.
Learn MoreNews & Events
-
March 21, 2013
The HSUS Disappointed by Va. Game Board’s Regulatory Vote on Inhumane Fox Pens
Recommendations proposed by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and its Board of Directors significantly narrow the options to regulate Virginia’s inhumane fox pens and were met with disappointment by The Humane Society of the United States.
-
February 12, 2013
Statement on Virginia Committee Vote on Fox Penning
The Humane Society of the United States issued the following statements on Virginia House of Delegates committee vote on Senate Bill 1280, authored by Sen. David Marsden, D-Burke, to crack down on inhumane fox pens.
-
February 5, 2013
Legislation to Crack Down on Fox Penning Passes Virginia Senate
The HSUS applauds the Virginia Senate for advancing Senate Bill 1280, authored by Sen. David Marsden, D-Burke, to crack down on inhumane fox pens.
-
January 31, 2013
Legislation to Crack Down on Fox Penning Advances to the Full Virginia Senate
The HSUS applauds the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee for advancing Senate Bill 1280, authored by Sen. David Marsden, D-Burke, to crack down on inhumane fox pens.
Our Victories
-
May 14, 2013
USDA Revokes License of Mississippi Roadside Zoo
A roadside zoo in Mississippi has lost its exhibitor license after 43 years. The U.S. Department of Agriculture revoked the license following an undercover investigation and legal complaints to state and federal officials by The Humane Society of the United States.
-
May 8, 2013
Court Upholds Calif. Law Preventing Cruel Trapping and Poisoning of Wildlife
A California court has upheld the constitutionality of Proposition 4, a 1998 state ballot measure banning use of cruel traps and poisons for the purpose of killing wildlife.
-
April 8, 2013
Maryland General Assembly Passes Legislation Banning Shark Fin Trade
The Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International, National Aquarium, National Wildlife Federation and Oceana applaud the Maryland General Assembly for banning the possession, sale, trade and distribution of shark fins.
-
March 1, 2013
Groups Applaud Federal Appeals Court Upholding Endangered Species Act Listing for Polar Bears
A coalition of groups is applauding a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to reject a challenge to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2008 decision to list polar bears as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.
