It's funny, now that the law has changed on Hunting with Dogs there are more foxes being killed than before. This is because Hunters now have to flush the fox(es) with the hounds, then shoot them. Obviously the hounds do still catch the odd fox, but as a rule most foxes are shot now.
And to just counter the whole "ripped to pieces by dogs" shite line, when a pack of hounds catches a fox, the lead hound (the one at the front) will kill the fox pretty much instantly, and then the pack will have a go, but if any foxes are ripped to bits, they are dead by the time this happens. Anyone who sobs out this emotive line has obviously never seen a fox killed by hounds and as a result doesn't know what they are talking about.
And if you are concerned about the stress caused to foxes when they are being chased by hounds, you'd all best stop walking (especially with a dog) in local woodlands and parks, because any fox, be it rural or urban, will run from a sound the approach of any person, with or without a dog and feel the same level of instinctive fear as they do when they are running from hounds.
And those of you with your cute fluffy kitty-cats, are you aware of what they do to birds and mice? Cats are very cruel, they play with live creatures, injuring them more and more until they die of shock. Compared to this fox-hunting is humane.
And finally, shooting is not as precise as hunting with hounds. It's very easy to wing a fox, but not kill it outright, and trust me, gangrene is a long, drawn out, horrific way to go, but a bite to the throat or back of the neck is quick, clean and over.
Hunt sabs are scum, and even though I don't shop in Lush because it smells fecking awful, I certainly won't go in there now.