ANIMAL welfare workers in Wiltshire say they are seeing a rise in dogs being found and collected following incidents linked to illegal hare coursing.

The RSPCA Wiltshire Mid Branch has spoken out after what it described as a growing number of dogs being picked up, amid ongoing concerns about the impact of hare coursing across rural communities in the county.

In a social media post last week, the branch said it had seen first-hand an increase in found dogs and voiced frustration at the continued appeal of hare coursing.

It said that in many cases individuals do not want to pay the fee to release them or are unable to provide proof of ownership.

The charity also said it recognises the names of some people who are “consistently the problem”.

Wiltshire’s Public Protection Service is also raising concerns.

Posting earlier the same day, the service said hare coursing is a known problem in the county due to its rural landscape.

While police deal with offenders, dog wardens are frequently called to collect dogs that have been dumped or lost during illegal activity.

Officials said this places additional strain on the dog warden team and rehoming centres.

Hare coursing is being tackled by the Wiltshire Police Rural Crime Team and has also been highlighted by Wiltshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson, as an issue affecting communities.

Members of the public are being urged to remain vigilant in the countryside and report suspicious activity.

This may include 4×4 vehicles being driven across fields, lurcher-type dogs being released, flashing lights at night, or groups gathered on farmland.

Anyone who sees hare coursing in progress is advised to call 999 and not to approach those involved.

If it is safe to do so, people should try to note descriptions of individuals and vehicles, including registration numbers and the direction of travel.

Information can also be reported online to the Wiltshire Rural Crime Team or by calling 101.