The Cotswold Hunt is celebrating the first litter of puppies born at the Hunt Kennels this year.

The six beautiful puppies were born to mother Cosy and father Bisley. They are now nine weeks old and starting to explore their surroundings.

The Cotswold Hunt has 44 pairs of hounds in kennels and is hoping to welcome a few more litters before the season ends.

Ellie Isaac said: “This is the most exciting time at kennels as we welcome new arrivals born to our hounds. Cosy has proved to be a wonderful mother and has looked after her puppies with great care to give them the best possible start in life. Foxhounds are incredibly affectionate, curious and intelligent. Soon they will be out for walks with our local puppy-walkers to build their confidence and get them used to a range of different noises and farm animals. It’s a joy to see them exploring and growing so well.”

The Cotswold Hunt is a member of the British Hound Sports Association (BHSA) which aims to preserve, protect, and promote the future of hunting with hounds.

Every year the trail hunting community raise tens of thousands of pounds for charitable causes. In a recent six-month period 92 different charities benefited to the tune of £460,000 raised by members of BHSA-registered hunts.