Calling the royal forests "conservation" is a bit of a misnomer.

It was entirely about the pleasure of the rich (this is still an issue with National Parks today, tbh).

Also, they didn't just declaw dogs. They intentionally maimed dogs. Hamling meant severing the hamstrings so the dogs couldn't run fast enough to hunt. Later, expediating was performed, which was amputating three toes of the front foot.

People and animals alike were maimed in the name of this "conservation," and in some cases "peasants" went hungry while surrounded by plenty out of fear of punishments that included castration, blinding, and execution. And imagine if you LIVED under these restrictions.

This article is kind of sugar coating things.