Richmond Votes to Phase Out Fox Penning

The Virginia House of Delegates has passed legislation restricting inhumane fox pens. It will now go to the Senate for approval of the House amendments. The Humane Society of the United States’ Virginia State Director Laura Donahue issued the following statement in response: “We applaud the House of Delegates for the passage of this critical bill to crack down on this cruel and inexcusable practice. In these pens, packs of dogs are released to chase down wild-caught foxes, often killing them. SB 42 creates a prohibition on any new pens from opening, and will phase out current existing facilities. We encourage the Virginia Senate to send this bi-partisan bill to the Governor’s desk for signage so that fox penning will finally have an expiration date in Virginia. We’re grateful to Attorney General Mark Herring, Senator Dave Marsden, and all of our supporters and advocates for speaking out against this egregious exploitation of Virginia’s wildlife.”