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Anti-hunting group criticised over appeal for ‘cruel’ fox hospital run from cramped room

The RSPCA has been unable to locate the foxes that were kept at the facility - Anadolu Agency /Anadolu
The RSPCA has been unable to locate the foxes that were kept at the facility - Anadolu Agency /Anadolu

An anti-hunting group was forced to apologise after fundraising for a "fox hospital" run from a cramped room filled with cages.

Keep the Ban promised to return donations after complaints that the animal “sanctuary” they were raising money for was “cruel” and being run by someone without veterinary experience.

The group has since informed the RSPCA, which has been unable to find the foxes and has asked anyone with any information to contact the charity or the police.

Keep the Ban had originally posted two appeals for help to fund the Fox Hospital - one to raise £300,000 to convert a van into a mobile clinic and the second to adopt a fox with a regular £2 payment as “these beautiful animals need our help more than ever”.

But they were forced to offer refunds, after complaints from supporters and an investigation into the "hospital" by a rival anti-hunting group, Foxhunting Evidence UK.

In a statement, Rob Pownall, founder of Keep the Ban, said: “On reflection it was the wrong call to support the appeal for donations and I did not undertake the sufficient due diligence and background checks on this operation.”

He added that he had dedicated his life to “ensuring the protection of wildlife” but that he let his “passion for helping animals take over from making the best judgement in this situation”.

Mr Pownall confirmed that he had since called the RSPCA about the situation.

Animal welfare supporters should stop handing money to 'murky causes'

According to donation pages still available online, the Fox Hospital had raised more than £27,000 from over a thousand donors.

It is unclear if the facility made further cash through Paypal donations and sponsorships, and the majority of the fundraising options are now closed to new contributions.

Keep the Ban said that all “donors were contacted and have either been refunded or notified that their donation will be sent to a registered wildlife rescue charity”.

Mr Pownall said that he had visited the Fox Hospital and the animals “appeared healthy” but there was a “lack of space” which is why they began fundraising.

However, Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance said that it was “yet another example of extremely dubious fundraising in the animal rights world”.

“Groups like Keep The Ban are unregulated and unprincipled,” he told the Sunday Telegraph.

“They use animals to raise funds for political campaigns and even for personal profit. Groups that really care about animal welfare should not be duping their supporters into handing over money to murky causes.”

The man running the hospital said that he was subject to a “vendetta” and was only “helping injured, sick and disabled animals”.

A spokesman for the RSPCA said: “Welfare concerns have been raised with us and we have been working with the police to look into this further.

“We have attended more than one address and have been unable to locate these foxes.

“If anyone has any first hand information including an address of a current location they can contact us on 0300 1234 999 or Essex police.”