The History of Derby Animal Rights
 The inaugural meeting of the Derby Hunt Saboteurs Group was held in a house in Shardlow on May 20th 1977 in response to the growing opposition in the Midlands against hunting with hounds. Hunts that were targeted originally were the Meynell, the Quorn and South Notts. Beagle packs were also targeted, the main one being a RAF pack named the Per Ardua Beagles based near Newark and the group also made odd visits to the Derbyshire Beagles and the Oakley Foot Beagles. Assaults were common place at this time and supporters of the Per Ardua Beagles and South Notts Foxhounds had the worst reputation. Even so the founder of the group was known to sab South Notts FH on his own by laying false trails which kept the hunt busy for hours!

There were always strong links with other Midland Groups from the beginning. The national Hunt Saboteurs Association moved its headquarters to Nottingham and Derby had a strong influence in shaping it to the organisation of the present day.

Derby sabotaged the first grouse shoot in the UK on August 12th 1978 in the Peak District. Derby was also also involved in sabbing a Seal Cull off the coast at Long Sutton near Skegness at around the same time. With this diverse range of activities members of Derby Hunt Sabs were responsible for changing the constitution of the HSA to oppose all bloodsports, rather than solely hunting with hounds which had been concentrated on previously.

In the Eighties the group diversified into general animal rights issues and henceforth had a dual identity Derby Animal Rights and Derby Hunt Saboteurs. The group was probably at its strongest in the late Eighties/ early Nineties when the clapped-out Derby van was a common sight in the Midlands. In the late Nineties saw almost the complete disappearance of the group but over the last 3 years the group has been turned around by the dedication of its members. Today the group is without a doubt the best equipped in the Midlands and although small in numbers has been out sabbing actively more times than any other Midlands group in the 2000/01 season.

Hunts that have been hit recently are the Meynell & South Staffordshire FH, the Quorn FH, Albrighton FH, Barlow FH, High Peak Harriers, and DNS Beagles.
Hare or rabbit?!!!!!

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