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.
Under the Endangered Species Act, any activity that disturbs or harms a listed species is considered illegal. Conservationists argue that protections should be put in place not only for the endangered species they may inadvertently kill, but for the hunter, the hounds and for any member of the public that may come into contact with the hounds themselves.
The hounds can also be victim to exhaustion, dehydration, selective breeding as well as starvation, which hunters use as a tactic to increase their prey drive, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.
A Missed Opportunity for Wildlife Protections
Despite the petition’s detailed documentation of encounters and displacement events, the Commission rejected the request. For conservationists, the decision is a step backward in efforts to protect Arizona’s fragile wildlife corridors. According to Wildlife for All, hounds are not selective while hunting, meaning they will chase any and all animals, which is harming the habitats of endangered cats in Arizona.
“Arizonans love jaguars and ocelots, and the commission’s refusal to protect these endangered animals shows it’s wildly out of touch,” said Russ McSpadden, Southwest conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. “We’ll keep fighting for these commonsense protections for Arizona’s endangered wildlife.”
Next Steps for Wildlife Advocates
While the petition was denied, environmental groups say the fight is far from over.
“The commissioner abdicated his responsibility to protect Arizona wildlife by supporting this bill, which would’ve wiped out the commission’s authority and killed public input,” said McSpadden. “It’s infuriating that the commission is putting hunters over science, endangered species conservation and public trust.”
