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Campaigns: Ban Hare Coursing
It has been banned in England, Scotland and Wales and remains illegal in most civilised nations. Ireland has become one of the last remaining countries in the world to allow live hare coursing.
This despite the fact that successive opinion polls since the 1960s have shown that a majority of Irish people want coursing made illegal. A Sunday Independent poll, for example, shows that eight in ten want this blood sport banned.
In 1993, the muzzling of greyhounds in enclosed coursing was introduced. As predicted by ICABS at the time, muzzling has failed to eliminate the cruelty from coursing. Thousands of hares are snatched from the wild and chased by greyhounds.
Some of the hares will be battered and mauled into the ground by the dogs. Some will sustain injuries so severe that they will die on the coursing fields. All will suffer the fear and stress of running for their lives.
Please join us in telling the Irish Government that it is now time to replace live hare coursing with drag coursing.
This would involve a simple transition from the use of live hares to the use of a mechanical lure. This lure is rapidly pulled along the ground and, through a system of pulleys, is made to emulate the sudden changes in direction made by hares. Drag coursing is practised successfully in several countries around the world, including the USA, Canada and Australia where live hare coursing is illegal.
We urgently need your help. Please respond to our action alerts below and help rid Ireland of this cruel blood sport.
Video: Coursing cruelty
URGENT ACTION ALERTS
Appeal to the Environment Minister
Please write to Minister John Gormley and demand that he stop licensing hare coursing.
Minister John Gormley
Email: minister@environ.ie
Appeal to the Minister for Agriculture
Please appeal to Minister Brendan Smith (he is responsible for animal welfare and the Protection of Animals Act) to intervene to end hare coursing.
Minister Brendan Smith
Email: minister@agriculture.gov.ie
Please also contact your local TDs/Senators and urge them to put pressure on the Environment Minister to ban hare coursing and to protect the precious hare species from all forms of persecution.
Write to your TD at:
Write to your Senator at:
For the names and contact details of politicians, please visit the Irish Government Website at:
More information about hare coursing
Coursing: Leaflet | Photos | Videos | Petition
Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government
Custom House, Dublin 1.
Tel: 01 888 2403.
Fax: 01 878 8640.
Department of Agriculture
Agriculture House,
Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Tel: 01-607 2000 or LoCall 1890-200510.
Fax: 01-661 1013.
Dail Eireann, Leinster House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Tel: 01-618 3000 or 1890 337 889.
Seanad Eireann, Leinster House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Tel: 01-618 3000 or 1890 732 623.
http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/.
