The Arizona Game and Fish Commission rejected a formal petition on April 11 that sought to ban the use of packs of hunting dogs across the state—even as concerns grow over the impact on endangered species such as jaguars and ocelots.
Submitted by the Center for Biological Diversity and other environmental groups, the petition claimed that hound hunting causes illegal disturbances and displacement of some of Arizona’s most at-risk wildlife. In recent years, at least five jaguars in southern Arizona have reportedly been forced from their native habitats following encounters with hunting dog packs.
Endangered Cats at the Center of the Conflict
Jaguars and ocelots are both protected under the Endangered Species Act and are extremely rare in the U.S., with only a handful of known individuals living in or passing through Arizona. Conservationists say even brief disruptions from hound packs can have serious consequences for these animals, particularly as they attempt to establish or reestablish home ranges in the region.
“The science is clear, packs of hunting dogs let loose on public lands cause significant harm to native ecosystems and wildlife. Their prohibition in Arizona is long overdue,” said Russ McSpadden, Southwest conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. “This trophy hunting method not only undermines fair chase principles as well as Arizona and federal law, it also disrupts hundreds of species of native wildlife and threatens jaguars, wolves and ocelots, just as these amazing endangered species are staging a comeback to the wilds of Arizona.”
Traditional Practice Meets Modern Conservation Concerns
Hound hunting—an age-old technique where trained dogs are used to track animals such as mountain lions, bears, and bobcats—remains legal in Arizona. While supporters defend it as a longstanding and effective wildlife management method dating back to Theodore Roosevelt and the Lee Brothers, conservation advocates argue that it creates unnecessary risks for non-target species, including protected big cats…