Fox hunts suspended in county parks
Move follows injuries to Jamison woman and her dog during New Year's day hunt.
Bucks County has suspended use of its parks for fox hunts while all uses of the parks are studied, Commissioner Chairman Rob Loughery said Wednesday.
The suspension was requested by Warwick Township after resident Judy Cox and her 10-year-old Labrador retriever were overrun by fox hounds on New Year's Day. Cox suffered scratches, bruises and one bite wound, and her dog, Daisy, required treatment for bites on her ear, stomach and leg.
Bill Mitchell, director of Parks and Recreation, said he has not received any hunting permit requests this year for Dark Hollow Park, where Huntingdon Valley Hunt has been staging the hunts since 1970. The New Year's Day hunts go back to 1914.
Claire Harris, co-founder of Huntingdon Valley Hunt, said the ground has been too soft for the hunts, which will probably resume in September. The group uses other sites besides county parks.