The RSPCA has confirmed it's investigating an investigation after chilling footage has emerged. The video appears to show a hunt member hitting a hound with a riding crop.
It was posted online following the Mendip Farmers' Hunt, which has kennels near Wells. Anti-hunting group Mendip Hunt Sabs shared the video on Twitter to show what they claim was “a shocking act of cruelty” at the hunt as the man, reports Somerset Live.
But a spokesperson for the hunt said the footage had been "highly edited" and the man was simply trying to stop the dog from chasing a wild mammal. They said the video was taken during lawful hunting activities.
