28/11/18
The six hounds from Four Burrow Hunt went missing on Saturday and have been heard barking down a mine shaft.
An operation is expected to get underway today to rescue six hunt dogs trapped down a mine shaft for four days.
The animals have been stranded since they went missing during a hunt on Saturday.
Four Burrow Hunt said they managed to get underneath a wire mesh cage covering a mine shaft, after the land beside it had given way.
It is not known how deep the stranded animals are although they are not believed to be in immediate danger.
Hunt master Paul Hancock warned people against visiting the site and said the rescue was now in the hands of experts, led by Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service.
He explained that the dogs had gone missing during a hunt in the St Allen area, north of Truro. The hunt masters went back to the area after traffic had died down to listen out for the missing hounds.
“We knew within 500 yards where they were,” he said. “On Saturday, when it got quiet later, we went back and we could hear them. They were contained somewhere.
“There wasn’t much we could do and we tried to look down. You can’t even ring the dog warden to see if any had been found until Monday morning.”
He said they have been out repeatedly to check on the hounds and, although they are worried about their welfare, were confident that the dogs are ok.
“They are fine and they’ve got access to water down there,” he added. “We haven’t thrown any food down because we don’t want them scrapping.”
Mr Hancock, who has been a hunt master for more than 30 years, said the rearing and training of hounds was a way of life and losing any animals was deeply distressing for all involved.
“It’s a horrible thing. I hate to think of them being trapped down there,” he added. “You know, these [the hounds] are our life. They can go missing and if you can’t find it, you just can’t sleep.”
He said he was waiting for details on the rescue, due to take place on Wednesday, from Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service.
https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/hunt-dogs-remain-trapped-after-2267116
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