Petition to Stop a Fox Cull

Here are some tips to help you create a petition against a cull in your area:

  • You can create a free petition online, for example on Change.org
  • Keep the text of the petition short, to the point and easy to understand, as people don’t always have a lot of time. We have some suggested wording below. 
  • Be polite. People will be put off by rude or offensive petitions, even if they’re sympathetic to the goals you’re trying to achieve.  
  • Ask someone to spellcheck and proofread it or send it to us and we’ll help. 
  • Share your petition as widely as possible with friends and family and in as many online groups as you can. 
  • You could add a picture you have taken of a fox in your area. If you don’t have any, there are websites which offer royalty-free pictures, such as Pixabay.   

Here is some suggested wording for your petition (please amend in line with the information you have):

Title of Petition: Stop [Name of organisation]’s plans to Cull Foxes!

Wording: Please help us oppose [whose] plans to cull foxes at [location].

Methods used to cull foxes are cruel and can inflict terrible suffering. Shooting frequently leaves foxes wounded and unable to hunt, which can lead to a slow and painful death. Trapping a fox and then releasing them in another area can cause extreme stress as they are being removed from their own territory. If a female fox with young cubs is killed or injured, her babies can starve to death.

As well as being cruel, killing foxes does not work, so it is a waste of resources. This is because foxes are territorial, so if one is killed another fox will enter their territory, potentially leading to an endless cycle of culling.

There are many cost-effective humane alternatives to culling, such as blocking fence holes and obstructing pathways.

I have emailed [who] with details of humane, non-lethal alternatives to culling. Please contact them too at [add email] and share this petition as widely as possible.

Thank you.

Add other details if you have them, for example, when the cull is likely to take place, if you know what methods they will be using, how many animals are likely to be targeted, do children and others enjoy watching the foxes.