Fox hunting with hounds involves the chasing, catching, and killing of foxes, practices whose welfare impacts have driven legislative bans in several countries while others maintain traditional practices.
The welfare impact of traditional fox hunting centers on the prolonged fear and extreme physical exertion experienced by the chased animal before killing. Scientific assessments consistently identify the pre-mortem fear and exhaustion as serious welfare concerns, regardless of the method of killing. This differs from methods causing rapid death with minimal pre-mortem suffering.