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Animal Voice, Issue 12, December 2014
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01. Happy Christmas and best wishes for 2015
01. Happy Christmas and best wishes for 2015
We wish our friends & supporters a very happy, healthy holiday! Thank you for all your support throughout the year.
Nollaig shonasach agus athbhliain shuaimhneach from all at the Irish Council Against Blood Sports.
02. Bloodsports cruelty continues over Christmas and into New Year
Over Christmas and into the New Year, there will be no respite for Ireland's persecuted wildlife. Hares will be running for their lives at coursing meetings and foxes will be chased to exhaustion and ripped apart by packs of hounds.
The Irish Council Against Blood Sports will continue pushing for a ban on this appalling cruelty and an end to the persecution of wildlife.
Please continue supporting our campaign by sharing our Facebook posts, retweeting our tweets, responding to our action alerts, contacting politicians, writing letters to newspapers and, if possible, making a donation to help fund the campaign.
For more information, visit our main website at www.banbloodsports.com
Thank you for your continued support.
03. Over 28,000 sign petition for a ban on Ireland's cruel coursing
28,369 from all over the world have signed a petition calling for a ban on Ireland’s cruel hare coursing. The Animal Rescue Site petition, aimed at Ministers Simon Coveney and Heather Humphreys, states “hare coursing is cruel and inhumane, and causes needless death and injury to countless hares per year in Ireland.” “Hare coursing is an atrocious and inhumane practice that is still taking place in Ireland today. Hare coursing involves capturing wild hares and letting them loose again in an enclosed area to be chased and terrorized by dogs,” the introduction to the petition outlines. “There is simply no good reason the hares should have to endure this kind of torture and terror.” Among the comments being left by those who have signed are: – Unbelievable that this is being done with live animals. There is no need, and it makes me not want to visit Ireland ever Please add your name to the petition now at http://theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/clickToGive/ars/petition/HareCoursing In England, where hare coursing is illegal, coursers are pursued by police and convicted in court. And their cars are crushed! This month in Cambridgeshire, a court ordered two cars owned by coursers to be crushed. Watch the Cambridgeshire Police video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tdJD1GJ-_c#t=126 In stark contrast, here in Ireland, where coursing is shamefully allowed to continue, Gardai direct traffic at coursing venues.
04. Realex urged to stop facilitating sale of tickets to cruelty event
The Irish Council Against Blood Sports is calling on online payment company, Realex, to show compassion for Irish hares and stop facilitating the sale of tickets to an animal cruelty event.
"We are surprised and disappointed to note that you are making the online sale of tickets to a hare coursing event possible by providing online payment services to the Irish Coursing Club," we stated in our appeal.
We told the company that coursing is one of Ireland's worst forms of cruelty and that hares violently netted from the wild are forced to run for their lives in front of greyhounds.
"This is a bloodsport which a majority of Irish people are opposed to and which is illegal in most countries including England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the United States," we pointed out.
We also provided them with information about the victims of coursing and highlighted that painful injuries suffered by hares include broken bones and dislocated hips.
ACTION ALERT
Please join us in urging Realex to show compassion for the hares and stop online payment services to coursers. Colm Lyon Email: colm.lyon@realexpayments.com,feedback@realexpayments.com,Tracy.Glynn@realexpayments.com Leave a comment on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/realexpayments Tel (London): +44 (0) 20 3178 5370
05. More Councillors express opposition to bloodsports
More Councillors from around Ireland have recently expressed their opposition to hare coursing and foxhunting. Below are a selection of comments received by ICABS. “I am completely and utterly opposed to hare coursing and most emphatically support a ban.” Cllr Deirdre Wadding (People Before Profit, Wexford County Council). “My position is that I am against wanton, malicious and deliberate cruelty against animals.” Cllr Daire Nolan (Independent, Wicklow County Council). “I am in favour of a ban on hare coursing and foxhunting” Cllr John O’Rourke (Independent, Wexford County Council). “I would not condone these types of activity [hare coursing and foxhunting].” Cllr Gerry Walsh (Fianna Fail, Wicklow County Council). “Yes I am against foxhunting and all bloodsports.” Cllr Seamus O’Boyle (People Before Profit, Sligo County Council). “I am not a supporter of this form of ‘sport’ [hare coursing and foxhunting]” Cllr Kieran Mahon (Anti-Austerity Alliance, South Dublin County Council). “Yes, I am against these cruel activities [hare coursing and fox hunting] and against cruelty to animals in general.” Cllr Ronan McMahon (Independent, South Dublin County Council). “Yes absolutely on both counts [in favour of a ban on hare coursing and fox hunting].” Cllr Mick Murphy (Anti-Austerity Alliance, South Dublin County Council). “Totally against [hare coursing and fox hunting]. These are barbaric practices.” Cllr Padraig McNally (Fianna Fail, Monaghan County Council) Find out the views of other Councillors, TDs and Senators at http://www.banbloodsports.com/views.htm Please contact all your local politicians and urge them to push for a ban on bloodsports.
06. "I support a ban on Ireland's cruel coursing": Linda Martin
A big thank you to singer, actress and TV presenter, Linda Martin, for expressing her support for a ban on hare coursing. “I support a ban on Ireland’s cruel hare coursing,” Linda Martin said. Witness the cruelty of hare coursing and join calls for a ban at http://www.banbloodsports.com/camp-hc.htm
07. Crushing blow to convicted hare coursers in UK
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In England, where hare coursing is illegal, coursers are pursued by police and convicted in court. And their cars are crushed! This month in Cambridgeshire, a court ordered two cars owned by coursers to be crushed. Watch the Cambridgeshire Police video. In stark contrast, here in Ireland, where coursing is shamefully allowed to continue, Gardai direct traffic at coursing venues.
08. Minister Simon Coveney: I have no plans to ban hare coursing
Despite being aware of the cruelty of coursing and the suffering caused to hares, Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has insisted that he will not ban the bloodsport. Responding to a Dail Question from ICABS President, Maureen O’Sullivan TD, the Minister repeated farcical coursing club claims that they adhere to the “highest standards of hare welfare”. He also made reference to an Irish Coursing Club (ICC) seminar relating to “care for hares”, apparently not recognising the absurdity of associating “caring for hares” with an activity based on using hares as bait for dogs. Disappointingly, Minister Coveney again dismissed a call for live hare coursing to be replaced with drag coursing, in which greyhounds chase an artificial lure pulled along the ground. “I am informed by the ICC that drag/lure coursing is not a feasible alternative to coursing because coursing greyhounds will not chase a drag/lure indefinitely and that after chasing a drag/lure once or twice the coursing greyhound will lose interest and disengage from the chase,” the Minister declared. This is in direct contrast to information provided by ICABS to the Minister, as well as footage filmed in Kerry showing greyhounds repeatedly and enthusiastically chasing an inanimate lure. We have previously informed the Minister that in countries where hare coursing is illegal (UK, USA, Australia, etc) drag coursing has been the replacement. Rejecting calls for a ban on coursing, Coveney concluded: “It is my belief that the systems in place to oversee coursing are effective, proportionate and working well and, accordingly, I have no plans to ban hare coursing.” Please join our appeals for hare coursing to be banned in Ireland by responding to the action alerts below.
ACTION ALERT
Express your support for a ban on coursing. Sign and share petitions Stop Licensing Cruel Hare Coursing https://www.change.org/p/minister-heather-humphreys-stop-licensing-cruel-hare-coursing Save Irish hares from cruel coursing Stop Hare Coursing in Ireland http://theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/clickToGive/ars/petition/HareCoursing Urge Minister Heather Humphreys to show compassion for the persecuted Irish Hare and revoke the coursing licence she issued. Email “Stop the cruelty. Revoke the hare coursing licence” to Heather.Humphreys@oireachtas.ie,ministers.office@ahg.gov.ie,taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie,joan.burton@oireachtas.ie,wildlifelicence@ahg.gov.ie,Gerry.Leckey@ahg.gov.ie SAMPLE LETTER Dear Minister, I am one of the majority who want hare coursing outlawed. I am writing to urge you to revoke the licence you issued to the Irish Coursing Club. In coursing, hares suffer at all stages – during the capture, during the time they are kept in captivity and during the coursing meetings where they run for their lives in front of greyhounds. Among the injuries recorded are broken legs, damaged toes and dislocated hips. Every season, hare injuries and deaths are documented. I ask you to please act on the wishes of the majority, show compassion and permanently revoke the licence. Thank you. Yours sincerely, [Name/Location] Please appeal to the Minister for Agriculture to remove an exemption for hare coursing from the Animal Health and Welfare Act. Simon Coveney, TD Contact all your local TDs now. Demand that they urgently push for a ban on hare coursing and all bloodsports. Tell them you are one of the majority who want coursing banned. Remind them that coursing is already illegal in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales. Urge them to respect the wishes of the majority of the electorate and back a ban.
09. Joe Walsh Tours thanked for removing suggestion to visit bullfight
A big thank you to Irish travel company, Joe Walsh Tours, for removing from its Facebook page a suggestion to “watch bullfighting in Madrid”. In an email to ICABS, a company spokesperson stated: “Our marketing team is reviewing all promotional material that may have included references to bullfighting with a view to removing this completely.” Thank you to everyone who supported our appeal to the company. Find out more about Joe Walsh Tours and its holiday offers at http://www.joewalshtours.ie/ Joe Walsh Tours joins a growing list of companies which have responded positively to ICABS appeals and removed references to bullfighting or bullrings. These include American Airlines, EasyJet, Jet2holidays, Marriott International, Hilton Hampton, Ebookers, Club Travel, Abbey Travel, Sunways, Low Cost Holidays.ie, Travel Department, Cancun Holidays Information Center, Co-op Travel, Ultimate Travel, No Fly Cruising, City Breaks 101, Original Travel, Escape Trips, Charter Travel, NY.T.Roma Hotel, Exclusive GP, Just Resorts, IceLolly.com, Burleigh Travel, Abercrombie & Kent, Holiday Transfers, Iglu Cruise, Oliver’s Travel’s and StagWeb.
10. Gardai standing next to coursers' catering tent were on traffic duty
Three Gardai who were photographed standing next to a catering tent within the grounds of Glin coursing club were engaged in traffic management, according to the Minister for Justice. The uniformed Gardai, who were seen facing away from a vehicle and alongside a tent selling sandwiches to coursers, were performing “normal traffic duties”, Minister Frances Fitzgerald stated in response to a Dail question from Clare Daly TD. The Gardai were present at the animal cruelty venue on both days of the weekend event. On Saturday, 4th October, two Gardaí “were present for approximately half an hour” and on the following day, three Gardaí were there “for approximately half an hour”. Addressing an earlier question from Deputy Daly about who would be paying for the Garda presence, Minister Fitzgerald stated: “the coursing club will not be covering the cost of the Garda presence.”
11. Justice Minister: Ward Union deer incident under investigation
The Minister for Justice, Frances Fitzgerald, has confirmed that an incident involving a deer running onto a road in front of a vehicle during a Ward Union hunt is currently being investigated by Gardai. Watch the NARA video footage at https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zg8LyuQdNkU
Responding to a Dail Question from Clare Daly, TD in relation to illegal stag hunting, the Minister said that “the specific incident referred to by the Deputy is currently under investigation.” In a separate Dail question, Deputy Daly asked Arts and Heritage Minister, Heather Humprheys to “close off the loophole in existing legislation that is being exploited by the Ward Union Stag Union, to enable them to in effect hunt stags”. Minister Humphreys maintained that “since the enactment of the legislation the Ward Union Hunt have operated a ‘drag hunt’ in order to comply with the legislation”. “This form of hunting involves the release of a deer to set a scent over a course,” she stated. “Following the recapture of the deer, the hounds and horses follow the scent. This practice is not considered to be hunting, as defined in the Wildlife Acts.” According to the Wildlife Amendment Act 2010, “a person who hunts deer with two or more dogs shall be guilty of an offence.” If you reside Meath or North County Dublin – areas in which the Ward Union operates – please familiarise yourself with the Wildlife Amendment Act 2010 and report any breaches to the Gardai.
12. Minister urged to close loophole being exploited by deer hunters
The Minister for Arts and Heritage has been urged to "close off the loophole in existing legislation that is being exploited by the Ward Union Stag hunt to enable them to in effect hunt stags". Read Clare Daly TD's Dail question and answer below. Parliamentary Questions and Answers Questions 504 - Answered on 9th December, 2014. Clare Daly, TD (Dublin North, United Left) Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys
ACTION ALERT
According to the Wildlife Amendment Act 2010, "a person who hunts deer with two or more dogs shall be guilty of an offence." If you reside in the area where the Ward Union operates, please familiarise yourself with the Wildlife Amendment Act 2010 and report any breaches to the Gardai. For the phone numbers of Garda stations, please visit: http://www.garda.ie/Stations/Default.aspx
13. Offensive to women: Complaint upheld against greyhound stadium ad
The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld a complaint against an offensive greyhound stadium advert in which a woman was referred to as a dog.
The radio ad for a Waterford IT racing event at Kilcohan Park Greyhound Stadium was broadcast on Beat 102-103. It included the following content: "Male 1: Would you look at the dog over there? / Male 2: What? Man, you can’t talk about her like that. I think she looks grand, y’know. / Male 1: Nah, don’t mind her. She is a dog. I’m talking about the greyhound behind her. She’s a fine breed."
The individual who complained about the ad said that referring to a woman as ‘a dog’ was offensive to women.
Defending the ad, Beat 102-103 maintained that "they had never directly referred to a woman as a dog and the reference to 'she is a dog' was in reference to the ‘greyhound’."
However, the Advertising Standards Authority upheld the complaint, saying that its complaints committee "considered that the reference to 'I’m talking about the greyhound behind her' indicated that the entire focus was not on the greyhound as specified by the advertisers [and] therefore that the advertising was demeaning to women and in breach of Sections 2.16, 2.17 and 2.18 of the Code."
The committee also ruled that the advert should not be broadcast in its current form again.
Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland Code - Relevant Sections
Decency and Propriety
2.16 Marketing communications should respect the dignity of all persons and should avoid causing offence on grounds of gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race or membership of the traveller community.
2.17 Marketing communications should respect the principle of the equality of men and women. They should avoid sex stereotyping and any exploitation or demeaning of men and women. Where appropriate, marketing communications should use generic terms that include both the masculine and feminine gender; for example, the term 'business executive' covers both men and women.
2.18 To avoid causing offence, marketing communications should be responsive to the diversity in Irish society and marketing communications which portray or refer to people within the groups mentioned in 2.16 should:
If you wish to make a complaint about an advert, please visit http://www.asai.ie/complaintoptions.asp
14. Ask Irish Independent to drop coursing from sports section
Join us in urging the Irish Independent to stop including hare coursing in its sports section Email “Irish Independent – Hare coursing is animal cruelty, not sport. Please stop including coursing in your sports section” to info@independent.ie See the cruelty of hare coursing http://www.banbloodsports.com/v-coursingb.htm
15. Coveney challenged on animal welfare commitment claim
Announcing funding for various animal welfare groups, a statement from Minister Simon Coveney includes the following: “The Minister said that he had demonstrated his commitment to improving the entire scope of animal welfare…” ICABS response: “Minister, until you ban hare coursing, foxhunting, terrierwork, digging out, fur farming, etc, you cannot truthfully claim that you have demonstrated a “commitment to improving the entire scope of animal welfare”. Animals will suffer terrible fates over Christmas and into the New Year due to your failure to properly address these issues.” If you would like to leave a comment for the Minister, and urge him to ban foxhunting, hare coursing, terrierwork, digging-out, fur farming and all acts of animal cruelty, visit his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SimonCoveney
16. Hedgecutting changes threaten wildlife: Submissions sought
The Heritage Council has expressed fears that Heather Humphreys' review of hedgecutting could result in a blanket exemption for roadside hedges all year round. This, they warn, would have a devastating impact on wildlife and destroy biodiversity. The following is taken from the Heritage Council website... The Heritage Council calls on people to have their say on hedge cutting and burning of vegetation The Minister for Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys has announced that she is undertaking a review of Section 40 of the Wildlife Act which sets the times for cutting of hedges and burning of vegetation each year. Currently, the closed dates for cutting hedges are set at 1 March to 31 August, to protect nesting birds. The Heritage Council is calling on people to have their say. Commenting on the review Catherine Casey, Laois Heritage Officer said, “The bird nesting season is starting earlier each year and in recent years we are seeing an increase in the number of birds nesting outside the closed period, with many nests being destroyed especially in February. While there are many exemptions to the current closed dates the fear is that this review by the Minister could result in a blanket exemption for roadside hedges all year round. Such an exemption will have a devastating impact on our wildlife”. “The purpose of Section 40 of the Wildlife Act is to protect bird life during the nesting season, to prevent forest fires and protect vegetation and wildlife habitats during the months of growth and reproduction. We are encouraging anyone who has concerns about hedgerows and wildlife to write to the Minister and outline their concerns. You can send your submissions to nature.conseravtion@ahg.gov.ie, with "Review of Section 40" as the subject. The closing date is Friday 9th January 2015”. http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/landscape/publications/select_category/44,45/article/calls-for-proposals-from-the-european-commission/?L=0&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=39&cHash=ec1521eb1f The full (short) discussion document is at http://www.npws.ie/legislationandconventions/
17. Doping of dogs is “haunting” Irish greyhound racing industry
In the Dail in December 2014, Mick Wallace TD raised the issue of doping and lack of transparency in greyhound racing with Tom Hayes, Minister for State, Dept. of Agriculture (who is a greyhound racing fan and was recently pictured at a coursing meeting). Mick Wallace wasn’t happy with the Minister’s response, saying he ignored his questions. On his blog, Mick Wallace, stated: “This week, I got an opportunity to question the Ministry of Agriculture regarding some of the problems facing the greyhound industry. Regulation has generally been poor, particularly in the area of drug testing – failure to make public the results of all doping tests, positive or negative, inordinate delays from the testing centre in Limerick, and the failure to deal strongly with the dogs and trainers found guilty. The Minister for State, Deputy Tom Hayes, refused to answer two of my questions – 1. Why was a conflict of interest tolerated, whereby the Chairman of the Control Board had dogs in training with someone who has been found guilty of doping greyhounds? 2. Are greyhounds tested for the new drug, stanozolol, in Ireland? The Minister ignored my questions. I wonder why?
During the exchange in the Dail, Mick Wallace said that because of Ireland’s reputation for doping racing greyhounds, English buyers were being warned by the British greyhound racing authority not to buy Irish dogs because of the drug problem, stating: “As the Minister of State is aware, in September the greyhound board in Britain made a statement warning English buyers against purchasing dogs in Ireland because they were drug ridden. How bad is this?” See full exchange below: Mick Wallace: “As the Minister of State is aware there are many people in Ireland who are very passionate about working with greyhounds in different facets but we have a serious problem with greyhound racing in Ireland. As the Indecon report stated the IGB was unfit for purpose. I am aware some changes have been made recently and some new people have been put in place to deal with the drug problem which is haunting the sport. Unless we get seriously improved regulation it will be hard to restore the reputation of greyhound racing. Deputy Tom Hayes: The control, administration and regulation of greyhound racing, are the responsibility of Bord na gCon under the Greyhound Industry Acts 1958 and 1993. Two statutory committees of Bord na gCon, namely the Control Committee and the Control Appeals Committee are central to the regulatory process. These committees operate independently of Bord na gCon. The Control Committee and the Control Appeals Committee of Bord na gCon were established under the Greyhound Industry (Control Committee and Control Appeal Committee) Regulations 2007 (SI 301 of 2007). Under that legislation, full details of any laboratory findings can only be published at the conclusion of proceedings by the Control Committee and the Control Appeals Committee. Article 8(6) of Greyhound Industry (Control Committee and Control Appeals Committee) Regulations 2007 (SI 301 of 2007) provides that the Control Committee shall publish its findings in all decisions in a manner it deems fit, and that such publication may be delayed subject to appeal procedures. The majority of samples obtained at licensed stadia are tested for prohibited substances in the National Greyhound Laboratory at Bord na gCon headquarters in Limerick and some samples are tested in an appropriate laboratory the UK. When a sample returns a positive result , owners-trainers are afforded due process including a hearing at the Control Committee and an appeal to the Control Appeal Committee. This can lead to a significant time lag from the initial notification of the positive sample to subsequent publication of the results of the positive samples. Consequently, the number of cases published in a particular year can span more than one calendar year. Bord na gCon has confirmed to me that it is currently involved in a public consultation process with stakeholders with a view to putting in place legislation which will enable the publication of details of all adverse findings after positive results have been returned by the laboratory and prior to consideration of such cases by the Control Committee. It is envisaged that the information to be published will include the identity of the greyhounds involved and the owners and trainers. I am informed that Bord na gCon has recently, in a move towards greater transparency, confirmed a finding of positive results after the analytical phase and prior to the hearing at the Control Committee. The complete details in relation to the owners and the greyhounds will be available when the Control Committee, and the Appeals Committee if appropriate, has concluded its deliberations in relation to findings which are upheld. Bord na gCon has recently appointed a Director of Racing, Governance and Compliance. Furthermore, I have appointed a person to the board who has particular expertise in veterinary and related matters. We are also changing the legislation. Officials from my Department are currently working on greyhound legislation to identify any legislative changes that need to be updated. That will be brought before the House as soon as we possibly can. Mick Wallace: I thank the Minister of State. Given the way the matter is being dealt with, I am glad to hear a review is about to take place because stakeholders, small owners, who are concerned about how things have gone on up to now have approached me. There is little doubt that there have been people involved in controlling how things are regulated in the greyhound industry who should not be involved in it. There are some serious conflict of interests, where the chairman of the control board has dogs in training with a guy who has been found to be guilty of doping dogs. How in God’s name can this be allowed happen? There has to be a serious look at who has been involved. As the Minister of State is aware, in September the greyhound board in Britain made a statement warning English buyers against purchasing dogs in Ireland because they were drug ridden. How bad is this? Deputy Tom Hayes: We need to be very careful in terms of drawing a line and saying this industry is full of people who are breaking the law. That is what is being said and that is the perception. I attend many tracks up and down the country and several functions and I hear this all this all the time. I want to be quite clear, the Indecon report which we published has several recommendations on regulation. We will implement them. There is no room in this industry for anybody who is breaking the law. We are quite clear on that and we will move as fast as we possibly can. I want to assure the Deputy and everybody in the industry that no stone will remain unturned on this issue. We will do everything possible and if anybody is involved in drugs they will be dealt with as they have no place in the industry. We want a clean sport. This industry is subsidised by taxpayers in a major way. As the Minister responsible I sent out a clear signal that we want this area regulated 100%. Deputy Mick Wallace: I am not saying all dogs in Ireland are drugged, they are not. In actual fact, the view on the street is that it is the bigger trainers and owners who are the most guilty in this area and not the small guys. Why have we allowed a system to prevail where it takes three weeks to get a result back from Limerick whereas in Britain results can be back in 48 hours? Surely that does not make for great transparency. The fines have been larger in Britain. The suspensions have been much clearer and enforced to a greater extent. We have been very lax in how we have done things here. The small trainers feel that the playing field is not level. The big boys are getting away with murder and being shown favouritism at the expense of the industry in general and the small guy. Does the Minister of State know if there are tests for stanozolol, a new drug on the market, in greyhounds? Deputy Tom Hayes: If I go to a greyhound track, the first person I meet will tell me one thing about it, while someone else further on will tell me the opposite and not to listen to others. That is the view on the street, but the facts are totally different. A full assessment of the greyhound board was carried out by Indecon which contained 27 recommendations, a large number of which related to testing and doping, all of which are being dealt with, even though we only received them several months ago. A new regulatory committee will be put in place and will be appointed by me. It will be independent of Bord na gCon, as well as small and big trainers. We want a level playing field for everyone involved.
18. Increased "animal welfare" grant for group encouraging killing
A group which encourages the killing of foxes, squirrels and birds has been given a 3,000 Euro “animal welfare” grant by the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney. That’s an increase of 600 Euro over last year’s figure and despite Minister Coveney being made aware of an Irish Red Grouse Association “Vermin Control Drive” aimed at killing foxes, crows, magpies and squirrels.
ACTION ALERT
Ask Simon Coveney to stop giving animal welfare grants to a group which encourages the killing of animals. Email: Simon.Coveney@oireachtas.ie For background information, please read our statement from earlier this year… Animal welfare grant given to group promoting killing of animals A group which encourages the killing of foxes, squirrels and birds has been given a 2,400 Euro “animal welfare” grant by the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney. The Irish Red Grouse Association received the cash as part of 1.8 million euro in funding to “136 organisations involved in animal care and welfare services throughout the country”. The Irish Red Grouse Association was formed in 2010 following a directive from pro-bloodsports group, Countryside Alliance Ireland to increase numbers of the game bird which is targeted by shooters during the open season of September 1st to 30th. In December, as the Department of Agriculture issued a statement headed “Coveney awards funding to Animal Welfare Organisations”, the Countryside Alliance newsletter was reporting that “the Irish Red Grouse Association has launched a Vermin Control Drive for Spring 2014.” Among the creatures that will be killed are foxes, grey crows, magpies and squirrels. Replying to a Dail Question from Clare Daly TD, Minister Coveney defended the grant, saying the grouse group meets the criteria of the grant scheme.
19. Donegal deer poachers convicted and fined
Well done to the landowner who reported the shooting, the Gardai who responded and the judge who convicted and imposed the fines... Deer poachers convicted and fined Two men who admitted illegally shooting a deer near Ramelton have been convicted and fined at a local court today. The men, who were using the technique known as ‘lamping’, were detected after a landowner informed Gardaí that he had heard shots on his land at Cratlagh, in the early hours of November 10, 2012. Derek Hay (52) of Portlean, Termon and Robert Sheridan (46) of Coolboy, Letterkenny, pleaded guilty to offences related to the incident at Friday’s sitting of Letterkenny District Court. Hay, a father of two, also admitted motoring offences including having no road tax Judge Denis McLoughlin heard that Gardaí were alerted to the incident when the landowner reported hearing shots fired on his land and seeing a jeep with one broken taillight in the area. Gardaí who responded to the report heard another two shots fired and a short time later they stopped an Isuzu jeep with one working taillight. Garda Jonathon Gallagher noticed a rifle with a scope on the dashboard, which was ready to be fired. The rifle was adapted to fit a silencer and a silencer was found on Sheridan, who was wearing a jacket that belonged to Hay. A lamp with a wire connecting it to the battery of the vehicle was also found. Fresh blood and animal hair was found in the back of vehicle. Inspector Goretti Sheridan told the court Hay has a licence to for hunting deer, but not in those circumstances. Later a deer was found dead on the landowner’s property. Inspector Sheridan said shells removed from the animal were tested and could be matched to the rifle found in the jeep, which was legally held by Hay. The silencer was found to fit the rifle and Hay acknowledge that he owned it. The court heard that he had previous a conviction for being drunk and in charge of a vehicle. Sheridan had nine previous convictions for motoring offences. Solicitor Seamus Gunn, for the two defendants, said there were four people involved in the incident that night. He said Hay had been issued with a permit by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to hunt deer during culls at certain times of year. He was permitted to do so in an area very close to where the incident took place, but he admitted he did not have permission to shoot deer on the lands belonging to the man in question. He said Hay, a small farmer, has held a licensed for firearms since he was 18. After Judge McLoughlin told the solicitor that Hay was not licensed to go lamping at night, Mr Gunn said Hay acknowledged what he had done was unlawful. “Nine times out of ten he would have operated in the proper circumstances. They did come across and it was an opportunist type of act on their part which was not appropriate and was unlawful.” Mr Gunn said Sheridan was a good friend of Hay, but does not hold a firearm. Sheridan was very much the lesser player,” he said. “These are country lads who lived in country all their lifetime. They were slack on this night and done wrong but have come before court on that basis,” he said. Judge McLoughlin fined Sheridan €500 for hunting with a lamp saying it was a two-man job and Sheridan knew exactly what he was doing. Hay was fined a €500 for having a silencer, €250 for hunting with a lamp and €250 for driving with no road tax. http://donegalnews.com/2014/11/deer-poachers-convicted-and-fined/
20. I'm against animals being hunted: Landowner tells hunters to leave
In a statement posted on a Boards.ie hunting page, a County Cork landowner has outlined how he told trespassing hunters to get off his property. "This morning I got a phone call from a neighbour to say that a foot hunt with a pack of dogs had come on to my land. So I drove down and walked in to the field and approached two young men and I told them straight out that they are not welcome on my land and please leave. I have signs on the gates saying no hunting no shooting also nailed to some trees. First of all, I'm against animals being hunted, 2nd I don't want any disease spreading, 3rd I don't want an insurance case of somebody getting hurt on my land. STAY AWAY." Please follow the example of this landowner and make your land off-limits to hunters. For more information, please click on "Landowners" at www.banbloodsports.com
21. 10 Reasons to Keep Hunters Off Your Land
1 Hunters, whether on foot or horseback, are a major threat to the biosecurity of your farm. Dozens of farms may be crossed during the course of a hunt. Diseases can be carried long distances on the clothing and footwear of hunters, on horses' hooves, on the hounds and on hunt vehicles. 2 Hunts scatter sheep and cows when they come through your farm with their horses and hounds. The result can be stressed animals, miscarriages, injuries and death. Fields of crops are also at risk. 3 If hunters have no insurance or insufficient insurance, you may be held liable for injuries they sustain while on your property. Saying yes to hunters could prove extremely costly. 4 When horseback hunters plough through your farm boundaries, or leave gates opened behind them, the result may be livestock escaping into neighbouring farms or on to public roads. 5 Pastures are very vulnerable to poaching and not just when they are wet. According to an article in the Irish Farmers’ Journal, "plots that had been severely damaged in the autumn produced over 70 per cent less grass the following spring compared to plots that were not damaged." 6 Wildlife experts, the Department of Agriculture and the National Parks and Wildlife Service, all agree that foxes do not pose a significant threat to farming interests. The major threat comes from the hunters who get their kicks from chasing and killing wildlife on your property. Most farmers recognise the fox as a friend who helps keep down the numbers of rabbits and rodents. 7 Farm dogs and pets are at risk during hunts. Among the victims are a sheep dog in Galway which suffered injuries to its hind quarters, back and paws after being attacked by a pack of foxhounds. Beloved farm pets have also been attacked by hounds and ripped apart. 8 Hunts pose a risk to children on your farm. In 2009, the Vice-President of the European Parliament's Intergroup on Family and Child Protection called on the Minister for Agriculture to ban hunting with hounds. Referring to hound attacks on pets and public fears for child safety, Kathy Sinnott, MEP said she was "greatly concerned that, if action is not taken, such attacks could result in the death of a child." 9 Hunters are responsible for horrific cruelty to animals. Foxes, hares and rabbits are chased to exhaustion and ripped apart. Foxes that try to escape underground are dug out and thrown to the hounds. The use of ferrets can leave rabbits blinded and mauled before they're killed. 10 Struggling farmers are exploited by wealthy, money-grabbing hunters. Did you know that hunts charge participants up to 150 Euro each for a day's hunting. They take the financial benefits while you endure the risks to your livelihood. Please read on to find out how to make your land off-limits to hunters. How to keep hunters off your land In advance of the hunt season, send a warning-off letter by registered post to all hunt masters in your area. You may also wish to put a notice in your local newspaper to highlight that your land is strictly off-limits. These are both optional - hunters have no right to enter lands without permission and it is unacceptable for them to claim that they didn't know that your lands are private and preserved. Immediately contact the Gardai if members or followers of the hunt trespass on your land. Under the Control of Dogs Act, dogs must be kept "under effectual control" so if hunt hounds come on to property where they do not have permission to be, the Gardai should be notified. Try and take photos or video footage as evidence. Contact the Gardai also if there is a breach of Section 44 of the Wildlife Act. This makes it an offence for any person who is not the owner or occupier of land to carry onto that land, without permission, any firearm, net, or other weapon, instrument or device capable of being used for hunting a wild bird or a wild animal. If trespass occurs, ascertain the name of the hunt and the person in charge. Have the damage independently assessed and contact your solicitor with a view to seeking compensation. Avoid accepting an informal apology from the hunt or "off the record" payment as this is unlikely to stop further trespass.
22. Bullfighting is disgusting: Revd Canon Patrick Comerford
An Anglican priest and canon of Dublin's Christchurch Cathedral has condemned bullfighting as "distasteful and disgusting". Stressing that he has never been to a bullfight and has no intention of ever doing so, Revd Canon Patrick Comerford wrote: "It just goes beyond my capacity for understanding to try to grasp why hundreds or even thousands of people could imagine it is enjoyable to spend an evening watching an animal being prodded, goaded and tortured by people for fun before it finally killed cruelly to applause. It is even worse to consider that bulls are bred especially for this single purpose." In a blog post, Canon Comerford denounced bullfighting as "cruel and inhumane" and declared that it "has no place in a civilised European society". "It is not a sport," he commented. "It is not as though the matador and the bull are battling like Chelsea and Ateltico Madrid last night to go into the next round. There is never a draw, one must die, and that almost always, perhaps inevitably, means the bull, who has no choice about being in the ring." The vegetarian pacifist and former journalist, who also serves as Adjunct Assistant Professor in Trinity College, added: "Bullfighting is already banned in Catalonia and on the Canary Islands. Hopefully, the other parts of Spain will follow suite, and soon." You can read Canon Comerford's full article at
23. Companies asked to stop selling bullfighting tickets
Companies helping to keep Spain’s blood-stained bullrings in business by selling bullfight tickets are being urged to disassociate from the bloodsport. Ticketmaster, supermarket chain Carrefour and department store group El Corte Ingles are being asked to stop profiting from the brutal torture of bulls.
ACTION ALERT
Sign and share our petition and get in touch with the companies using the contact details below. Petition: https://www.change.org/p/ticketmaster-carrefour-el-corte-ingles-stop-selling-bullfight-tickets EL CORTE INGLES Email: clientes@elcorteingles.es,servicio_clientes@elcorteingles.es TICKETMASTER Email: michaelrapino@livenation.com (Michael Rapino, CEO, Live Nation Entertainment) Or email from: http://ticketmasterus.custhelp.com/app/askNoTabs CARREFOUR Mr Georges Plassat
24. City Discovery urged to drop bullfighting from tour
City Discovery is being urged to drop a visit to a bullring from its Madrid tour. On its website, the travel company invites visitors to the Spanish capital to “feel the adrenalin with a visit to Las Ventas, to witness an iconic Spanish tradition: the Bullfight!” http://www.city-discovery.com/madrid/tour.php?id=831 “Bullfighting involves horrendous animal cruelty and many tourists lured in to bullrings are shocked and disgusted to witness animals being mercilessly tortured and killed,” the Irish Council Against Blood Sports stated in a message to the company.
ACTION ALERTS
Please join us in our appeal to City Discovery to remove cruel bullfighting from its Madrid tour Email: blog@city-discovery.com or send an message from http://www.city-discovery.com/contactUs.php Crying tourist after witnessing a bullfight: “The most terrible thing I’ve ever seen”
25. Leading stag do company drops suggestion to visit bullfight
A big thank you to the UK's leading stag do company for dropping a suggestion to "take in...traditional bullfights". Bath-based StagWeb deleted the content from its Marbella page following an appeal from the Irish Council Against Blood Sports. In a tweet, the award-winning company which has served over 300,000 clients since 2002, stated that bullfighting "isn't something we offer [but] nonetheless we have triple checked & removed anything ambiguous". StagWeb's response is a big help to our ongoing campaign to encourage holidaymakers to reject bullfighting. We thank them for this compassionate move. Find out more about their stag packages at http://www.stagweb.co.uk/
26. Oliver's Travels removes bullfighting lessons
London-based travel company, Oliver’s Travels, has been thanked for removing from its website a suggestion to take bullfighting lessons with a professional bullfighter. The lessons to learn how to use a bullfighting cape and how to “move in front of the bull” were deleted following an appeal by ICABS in which we highlighted the cruelty of bullfighting. A company spokesperson stated yesterday: “We have removed all mentions of bullfighting and will make sure it is not mentioned on any new properties we add.” Oliver’s Travel’s response is a big help to our ongoing campaign to encourage holidaymakers to reject bullfighting. We thank them for this compassionate move. Find out more about their travel offers at http://www.oliverstravels.com/
27. The Apology Song from The Book of Life
The Apology Song from The Book of Life. Directed by Mexican animator Jorge Gutierrez and co-produced by Guillermo del Toro, the film embraces an anti-bullfighting message. A young man named Manolo is trained by his father to become a bullfighter but rejects the bloodsport. During his first bullfight, he refuses to kill the bull. Later he sings “I’m sorry, let us end this dance of death, Two centuries of agony, that to your heart we sent, Here and now with my amends, the senseless killing ends.” Have you seen The Book of Life? What did you think of the bullfighting content? Lyrics for The Apology Song Toro, I am humble, for tonight I understand I am sorry, Toro I am sorry, And if you can forgive, and if you can forgive, love can truly live Toro, I am frightened, but I’ll use my final breath I am sorry, Toro I am sorry, And if you can forgive, and if you can forgive, love can truly live Watch The Book of Life trailer at
28. Animals suffer a perpetual winter solstice
Animals suffer a perpetual winter solstice Today’s winter solstice means it’s downhill for darkness. But those unfortunate beings we call “livestock” will find their winter solstice happens all year round – and few lament their shortest day. Many mock me for mourning them. But as Emile Zola said, “the fate of animals is of greater importance to me than the fear of appearing ridiculous; it is indissolubly connected with the fate of man.” It’s easy to sneer at a seemingly sentimental former city slicker, but more difficult to discount an 80-year-old Warsaw Ghetto survivor who “worked on animal farms while in college, earned a PhD in chemistry, and ultimately decided to devote my life to animal rights, which I have done for nearly 40 years.” Indeed, it was Dr Alex Hershaft’s experience of farming that led him to note the similarities “between how Nazis treated us and how we treat animals – especially those raised for food. Among these is the use of cattle cars for transport.” Of which there are no shortage passing through my country town; a mere fraction of the 56 billion farmed animals slaughtered worldwide annually. These steel trucks have slats along the sides for air, through which you can glimpse the captives within. Or else they have an open top, so you occasionally spy a wet nose desperately sniffing the air. Sometimes three or four trucks a day literally darken my window, for both a horse knackers and abattoir are located nearby. Cameras and checkpoints prohibit anyone except workers from entering those truckloads of doomed creatures. No wonder some animal rights activists use the word “holocaust” to describe mass animal slaughter. Others object to the word, saying it is offensive to victims of the real holocaust. Yet philosopher Theodor Adorno said: “Auschwitz begins whenever someone looks at a slaughterhouse and thinks they are only animals.” Nobel laureate Isaac Singer believed that, in terms of how we treat our fellow beings: “all people are Nazis; for the animals it is an eternal Treblinka.” For Dr Herschaft, the “negative reaction is largely due to people’s mistaken perception that the comparison values their lives equally with those of pigs and cows. Nothing could be further from the truth.” Rather, “what we are doing is pointing to the commonality and pervasiveness of the oppressive mindset, which enables human beings to perpetrate unspeakable atrocities on other living beings – be they Jews, Bosnians, Tutsis, or animals. It’s the mindset that allowed German and Polish neighbours of extermination camps to go on with their lives, just as we subsidise the oppression of animals at the supermarket counter.” Of which, if you’ll pardon me, I’ll take no part. For life is short enough as it is, without drawing its deadline nearer for any of us.
29. Severe suffering for 200,000 animals in Irish labs
Shocking figures just released show that in Irish labs in 2013, almost 200,000 animals were inflicted with injuries and diseases causing severe suffering. The creatures were subjected to brain damage, broken legs, heart attacks, spinal cord injuries and forced swim tests. To find out more about the horrors taking place in Irish labs, read the following statement from the Irish Anti-Vivisection Society (IAVS)… New figures for 2013 published this week by the Irish Government’s Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) have revealed that almost 200,000 animals were inflicted with injuries and diseases causing severe suffering, including pregnant rats being dosed with methamphetamine and then forced to swim in tanks of water from which there is no escape. A total of 279,379 experiments of various degrees of severity took place in 2013. Most of the severe 200,000 procedures involved mice being subjected to acute poisoning tests known as ‘Lethal Dose 50%’, probably for Botox-type products, with a large proportion destined for cosmetic use. Over 35,000 more mice were used in this way compared with 2012, despite HPRA statements of tighter regulation and greater emphasis on replacing animal tests. The HPRA is now required by EU law to publish summaries of animal experimentation projects. The IAVS has been requesting such information for over 20 years and welcomes this increased transparency as a vital move towards democratic accountability. However, the 2013 summaries reveal some extremely disturbing practices in Irish labs that demand immediate scrutiny. The IAVS is particularly concerned about two experiments intending to kill 2,800 specially-bred rats over three years, some of whom will be made to undergo a procedure known as the ‘forced swim’ test. This is a ‘behavioural despair’ test where the animals are made to swim in a tank from which there is no escape, to assess the animal’s response to the threat of drowning by seeing at what point they give up in despair and stop moving. In the first project, rats are being deliberately brain-damaged in an attempt to model depression, placed in stressful isolation, dosed with opioids such as morphine and then subjected to behavioural tests including the forced swim ordeal and being placed on a painful hotplate. In the second project, pregnant rats are given the dangerous drug methamphetamine or ‘meth’– subject of the hit series ‘Breaking Bad’. New-born pups are then subject to the forced swim test. The researchers claim the results can be translated to human scenarios where pregnant women take meth. IAVS chairwoman Yvonne Smalley says: The summaries published by the HPRA also state that severe pain and suffering continues in other experiments where animals have been given: broken legs, spinal cord injuries, epilepsy, severe arthritis, experimental weight loss surgery, artery damage leading to very painful gangrene, malignant brain tumours (neuroblastomas), Alzheimer’s disease-type brain damage, deadly motor neurone disease, heart attacks. Yvonne Smalley comments: ‘The IAVS is not only deeply concerned about the intensity of pain and distress inflicted on these animals, we do not believe they pass the legally-required harm-benefit test. Furthermore translating the results of such experiments humans is fraught with uncertainty. We urge the HPRA and the Minister for Health Leo Varadkar to suspend all severely painful projects immediately pending a thorough ethical and legal review.’ Visit the website of the Irish Anti-Vivisection Society at http://www.irishantivivisection.org
30. Cork farmer fined €4,000 for ‘barbaric’ bovine tail docking
Cork farmer fined €4,000 for ‘barbaric’ bovine tail docking A Cork farmer convicted of animal cruelty for “barbaric” bovine tail docking has been fined €4,000. The case against Noel Lynch, a married father of three, is believed to be the first of its kind in the State. Mr Lynch was convicted of docking the tails of five cows at his farm in Caher, Churchtown, Mallow, Co Cork causing “unnecessary pain” and leaving the animals “permanently injured”. Mr Louis Reardon, a vet inspector with the Department of Agriculture’s Special Investigations Unit, described tail docking as a “barbaric” practice with no scientific basis, that leaves animals permanently disabled. The practice involves applying a rubber band to the cow’s tail. The band causes severe pinching, cutting off blood supply, causing the death of the tail tissue. “It’s a painful process for the animal, the pain persists for as long as five to seven days and it can be quite intense pain,” Mr Reardon said. At Mallow District Court, Helen Boyle BL told how Mr Lynch and his wife were in the milking parlour when Department of Agriculture officials arrived at the farm on July 5th, 2012. Inspectors found that many of the herd had suffered bovine tail docking. Photographic evidence of five affected animals clearly showed that the cows tails had been docked and the blood supply cut off, Mr Reardon said. “You can clearly see the withering of the tail at the very end and you can clearly see the black rubber ring,” he said. Rubber bands had been applied between 6 and 15 inches from the tip of the tail in five different animals, the court heard. Asked why a farmer might dock a cow’s tail, Mr Reardon said it may be done for “milker’s ease” and said there were occasions where it may be done if an animal suffered an injury to its tail. “A shortened tail is less likely to hit people, particularly when milking between the legs,” he said. However, Mr Reardon said bovine tail docking removed a cow’s ability to swat flies away, leading to unusual behaviour such as “stamping or walking around” in a bid to escape flies. He agreed that it was a view that tails might be docked to prevent the contamination of udders through fecal matter. ‘But I don’t believe there is any merit to it,’ Mr Reardon said. Mr Lynch, who has had €4,000 deducted from his single farm payment, has one previous conviction for possession of illegal growth hormones, for which he was fined £4,000 and given a four-month prison sentence. “I’ve no familiarity with the pain threshold of animals,” Judge Aeneas McCarthy said. Convicting Mr Lynch, the judge imposed a four-month suspended sentence on condition that no further offenses are committed for two years and imposed a €4,000 fine. “The court regards this as a serious matter,’ the judge said.
31. Fur shoppers exposed to ugly reality
A campaign to expose fur shoppers to the ugly reality of fur farming has been launched. To find out more about the “Make Fur History” campaign, watch the video at Thousands of mink continue to be caged and killed on Ireland’s fur farms. Please take action now to demand a ban on this shameful industry.
ACTION ALERTS
Sign and share the petition: Ban fur farming in Ireland https://www.change.org/petitions/ban-fur-farming-in-ireland-please-sign-and-share-our-petition Demand a ban on fur farming in Ireland. Email Simon Coveney now. Email: Simon.Coveney@oireachtas.ie,AnimalHealthAndWelfareAct@agriculture.gov.ie SAMPLE LETTER Dear Minister Coveney, I support a total ban on fur farming and an immediate closure of Ireland’s fur farms. In these hellholes, animals suffer a horrendous life of misery before being cruelly gassed to death. There is absolutely no justification for allowing this cruelty to continue. Please ban fur farming now. Yours sincerely, [Name/Location]
Questions 120 – Answered on 11th December, 2014 Clare Daly, TD (Dublin North, United Left): To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 126 of 16 October 2014, in which she states that she has asked the commissioner for information on the specific issue referred to by this Deputy and that she will reply directly to this Deputy; if she will provide the information as requested. Minister for Justice and Equality (Ms. Frances Fitzgerald): I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the annual Glin Coursing Meeting was held on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 October, 2014 at Ballinagoul, Co Limerick. The ground at Ballinagoul is located in the Garda District of Newcastlewest, Co. Limerick. The event attracted a significant number of patrons on Saturday 4 October and a larger number of patrons on Sunday 5 October. As with other events that attract a considerable crowd of people, local Garda management deemed it necessary to have Gardaí present. The duties performed by Gardaí were normal traffic duties, as performed at all local public events that attract large numbers of people and the Coursing Club will not be covering the cost of the Garda presence. On Saturday, 4 October, 2014 two Gardaí attended the event referred to by the Deputy and were present for approximately half an hour. Three Gardaí were in attendance for approximately half an hour at the event on Sunday 5 October, 2014. Clare Daly, TD (Dublin North, United Left): To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will close off the loophole in existing legislation that is being exploited by the Ward Union Stag Union, to enable them to in effect hunt stags; and if she will make a statement on the matter. Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys: The Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2010 makes it an offence to hunt deer with two or more dogs. It is understood that since the enactment of the legislation the Ward Union Hunt have operated a “drag hunt” in order to comply with the legislation. This form of hunting involves the release of a deer to set a scent over a course. Following the recapture of the deer, the hounds and horses follow the scent. This practice is not considered to be hunting, as defined in the Wildlife Acts. Clare Daly, TD (Dublin North, United Left): To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to improve responses from An Garda Síochána to reports made to them by the public regarding illegal stag hunting (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. Illegal stag hunting by The Ward Hunt in Summerhill Co Meath on Tuesday 2nd December, reported to Trim station Minister for Justice and Equality (Frances Fitzgerald): I am informed by the Garda authorities that all incidents reported to Gardaí are responded to a soon as possible and any complaint made to An Garda Síochána regarding illegal hunting is fully investigated. I am further informed that the specific incident referred to by the Deputy is currently under investigation. Question 36 – Answered on 12th November, 2014 Maureen O’Sullivan, TD (Dublin Central, Independent): To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in view of the fact that hare coursing is now a criminal offence in Britain, Northern Ireland and much of Europe, if it is time to make this barbaric so called sport a practice of the past, follow in the footsteps of Australia by replacing live hare coursing with drag coursing to ensure no loss of jobs in the industry; if he acknowledges the extent of injuries to hares and greyhounds to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Simon Coveney: Under the provisions of the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, the regulation of coursing is chiefly a matter for the Irish Coursing Club (ICC) subject to the general control and direction of Bord na gCon (BnG). The welfare of greyhounds involved in coursing is provided for in the Welfare of Greyhounds Act 2011 which inter alia requires that persons who course greyhounds must have regard to the “Code of Practice in the Care & Welfare of the Greyhound”, developed jointly by the ICC and BnG. The ICC has assured my Department that it has extensive systems and practices in place to underpin the welfare of animals participating in coursing and that it goes to great lengths to ensure the highest standards of hare and greyhound welfare are adhered to. An enhanced system of regulation for the detection of prohibited substances in coursing greyhounds, accompanied by more stringent sanctions, was put in place by the ICC in August 2012. The Executive Committee of the ICC has also established a sub-committee (the Testing Review Committee) to examine current practices for the detection of prohibited substances in coursing greyhounds with a view to extending the scope and frequency of testing. The Committee will report back to an EGM with recommendations for consideration and approval by members before the end of March 2015. The ICC has established a “Hare and Field Committee” charged with assisting individual clubs in improving their infrastructure, facilities and knowledge base. Furthermore, the ICC provides a grant to individual clubs to improve their facilities. An inspection is carried out by the ICC in advance of every coursing meeting to check that all arrangements are in place and ready for the event to proceed. This inspection is carried out by an ICC Control Steward, a member of the ICC Hare and Field Committee and a veterinary surgeon. Each coursing meeting is overseen by one ICC Control Steward, one veterinary surgeon and one member of the ICC Executive Committee. The ICC Executive Committee member has wide-ranging powers to curtail or abandon a meeting The ICC has on occasion postponed coursing meetings due to adverse weather conditions. The role of the veterinary surgeon at coursing meetings has been expanded, including the inspection of hares before and after coursing. As a further control measure, Rangers from the National Parks and Wildlife Service and veterinary inspectors attend from my Department attend a number of coursing meetings in a monitoring capacity. The ICC organised a seminar, attended by the vast majority of clubs, giving expert advice on how to care for hares. The ICC also has a guidance document on the “Care of the Hare” almost ready to roll-out to clubs; much of the information in the document has already been relayed to Clubs. Hares are assembled for coursing in accordance with a licence granted by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. These licences have 26 conditions attached, dealing with items such as welfare and veterinary supervision at coursing meetings. Conditions of the licences require Coursing Clubs to: o have a veterinary surgeon in attendance at a coursing meeting, A Monitoring Committee on Coursing was established during the 1993/94 coursing season and comprises of officials from my Department and representatives from both the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the ICC to monitor developments in coursing and in that regard the situation is kept under constant review to ensure that coursing is run in a well controlled and responsible manner in the interests of both hares and greyhounds alike. A review of the outcome for the most recent season indicates that the procedures and processes in place in terms of animal welfare are appropriate given that 99.4% of hares were released back to the wild at the conclusion of coursing. I am informed by the ICC that drag/lure coursing is not a feasible alternative to coursing because coursing greyhounds will not chase a drag/ lure indefinitely and that after chasing a drag/lure once or twice the coursing greyhound will lose interest and disengage from the chase. It is my belief that the systems in place to oversee coursing are effective, proportionate and working well and accordingly, I have no plans to ban hare coursing.
Help raise awareness about Ireland’s animal cruelty issues – write letters to the editors of local and national newspapers to speak out against hare coursing, foxhunting, etc. I would have preferred Ned O’Keeffe had never entered politics I had mixed feelings when I read about the imposition of a hefty fine and a suspended sentence on former Fianna Fail TD, Ned O’ keeffe. He had admitted to filing fake invoices to claim more than €3,700 in mobile phone expenses. Mixed because nobody is perfect and I recognize that it must represent a severe personal blow to him to be subjected to this public ignominy, even if he did bring it on himself. On the other hand, as a long time campaigner against animal cruelty in Ireland, I recall that as a TD Mr. O’ Keeffe was for years the most vociferous cheerleader for the so-called sport of live hare coursing. When the late Deputy Tony Gregory moved a Private Members Bill in June 1993 to abolish the cruel practice, Mr. O’ Keeffe mounted a ferocious attack on what he described as an attempt to remove one of the most edifying and delightful pastimes from the heart of rural Ireland. Brushing aside evidence of hares being mauled to death or agonizing injury by the dogs, and the screams of the hares that were relayed from a tape recorder in the Dail by a Green Party TD in defiance of Oireachtas rules, he eulogized an activity that has since been outlawed on animal welfare grounds in many jurisdictions, including Britain and Northern Ireland. In September 2009, when the Greens in government hinted that they would like to see a ban on hare coursing, Mr. O’ Keeffe again came to the rescue of his beloved “harmless rural pastime”, warning that he and like-minded TDs would block any move to end it. The spectacle of a political giant being brought low is not something to celebrate. But nor, in my opinion, should the spectacle of a hare being terrorized or tossed about like a broken toy by a pair of hyped-up greyhounds, be celebrated. Mr. O’ Keeffe’s departure from Fianna Fail is unlikely to bother anyone in the greyhound industry. His position as the political mouthpiece of the pro-blood sports lobby has been filled by South Tipperary’s Deputy Mattie McGrath, who is gleefully trotting out the same old tired excuses for allowing hare coursing to continue in 21st century Ireland. As for Ned O’ Keeffe’s resignation, I would have preferred for the sake of our persecuted hare population that he had never entered politics in the first place. John Fitzgerald Hare coursing disgraces Ireland With dozens of animal baiting fixtures to be held over Christmas, a stark reminder of just how anomalous and out of date our animal cruelty laws are has been provided by the conviction of four men earlier this month for hare coursing in Cambridgeshire, England. In addition to fining the culprits, Huntington Magistrates’ Court ordered that two of their vehicles be crushed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6tdJD1GJ-_c By contrast, here in Ireland hare coursing is permitted by law and supported by some leading politicians. Following weeks of unnatural captivity, the timid and inoffensive hares can be mauled or otherwise injured as the dogs pin them down or toss them about on the coursing field. A special provision exempting hare coursing from prohibition was inserted into the Animal Health and Welfare Act at the behest of the powerful pro-hare baiting lobby. This legislative anomaly utterly disgraces Ireland in the estimation of decent people worldwide. Hundreds of hares will be forced to run for their lives over Christmas, with snugly dressed fans gathering to watch the iconic creatures, their eyes bulging from sheer terror as they dodge and swerve to evade the salivating dogs. John Fitzgerald Animals deserve compassion A homeless man dies on a morgue-cold Dublin street, residents of a residential care home are manhandled by dullards and Christmas is about to be celebrated in a fugue of alcohol while people remain emotionally clamped to consumerism. What is happening to Irish society? A seam of callousness has opened, revealing a disconnection of feeling and understanding for those adrift from our normal functional world. Self-interest has rendered the tenets of caring and acting in a compassionate manner obsolete. This coarsening of life in Ireland is brought into sharp focus at Christmas time, when in this Christian and supposedly civilised country there will be widespread cruelty inflicted on wild animals over the Christmas holiday season. No Christmas respite is given to wildlife by bloodsports followers. Despite the displays of support for those who reside on the fringes of society, the core of Irish society is hollow. As a nation we have all but all given up on really caring – as opposed to charity-induced caring – for the human and non-human members of our society that need respect, financial support and the reach of a helping hand. The thought and deed of kindness is in fear of dying in Irish society. The emotional connection to another person and to the non-human members of our society has been unplugged. John Tierney Inhumane “sport” has had its day The greyhound industry has a serious PR problem, but it was never without its critics. Brendan Behan made reference to it in Confessions of an Irish Rebel: “track racing is too dull and coursing is too cruel. I did go coursing betimes for the screams of the hares gave me the excuse to stop in the tent drinking whiskey for to drown the noise.” Because the dogs are now muzzled hares do not scream as loudly or as often on the coursing field as they did in the days when the much loved Behan wrote, drank, and entertained, but their plight remains a sad and shameful one. Muzzling has only made the cruelty less visible. Instead of those tug of war scenes that Behan would have observed before retiring to the whiskey tent, with hares being stretched and torn apart between the competing dogs, we now see hares being mauled, struck, tossed into the air, or pinned down by their pursuers and later dying of their injuries if not put out of their misery by the official club “dispatchers.” The Irish Hare, as a species unique to Ireland that survived the last Ice Age, is as much a part of our wonderful wildlife heritage as a writer like Behan is central to our world renowned literary heritage. Yet our laws permit its organized abuse in a barbaric, unequal game of chance. Sport is about fair play and competition. In coursing the hare is on a par with the sloither on a hurling pitch…a mere plaything. With Christmas approaching the coursing season is reaching its peak as this iconic creature is hounded for sport at venues nationwide. In hail, rain or snow, each hare will swerve and dodge and turn to evade death or injury. Well fed punters decked out in snug winter clothing will laugh or cheer as the hares perform. Fans of this activity argue that it is part of Ireland’s culture, embedded in tradition, and should therefore be allowed to continue. I would argue that is the Irish Hare that needs preserving and protecting, not a practice that is intrinsically inhumane and gravely undermines the image of our greyhound industry. John Fitzgerald
Big Shu, alas, suffered a worse fate in the cross-country, collapsing and dying from an apparent heart attack after being pulled up. His trainer, Peter Maher, had earlier said the horse had endured a rough crossing from Ireland and there was speculation that that may somehow have left him vulnerable to such a dismal outcome. Vets here were reluctant to be drawn into discussing Big Shu, pending a possible post-mortem. from a report about the Cheltenham horse racing festival, The Guardian, 12 December 2014 “The Irish Coursing Club has assured my Department that it goes to great lengths to ensure the highest standards of hare and greyhound welfare are adhered to” Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney. from a reply to a Dail Question from Maureen O’Sullivan TD, 12th November, 2014 Small-part actor Dimitri Diatchenko has been arrested after allegedly killing, skinning and eating his ex-girlfriend’s pet rabbit. Authorities said he sent her grisly photos of the procedure and threatened to do the same thing to her. Charged on Tuesday with felony counts of cruelty to an animal with use of a knife and making criminal threats, he faces up to four years and eight months in prison if convicted. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2869273/LA-man-charged-killing-ex-lovers-pet-rabbit.html Generally in Ireland, an overwhelming majority of the population are vehemently opposed to enclosed hare hunting and are much more supportive of conservation practices that insures the safety and continued survival of Ireland’s oldest animal. Consequently, when we see hares sporting in the fields, we should remember that they are not simply soft cute fleet footed creatures. Because they have inhabited the Irish countryside long before we have; they carry millennia of mythology, folklore and tradition with them, which is why the Irish hare holds a special place in the hearts of all animal lovers. from The Irish Hare: Man’s Iconic Friend, West Cork Times, July 24 2014 “My Father fought hard in the War. 50 years ago we were in Palma. Dad went to the’ bullfight’ and was so horrified he came out early and was ill. Worse than the war. He never forgot the horror.” Comment posted on ICABS Facebook page, December 2014. Benjy, the gay bull whose story attracted headlines around the world, is set to join the Diaspora in England. The bull was saved from the slaughterhouse by co-creator of The Simpsons Sam Simon – who put up more than €6,000 to secure Benji. Mr Simon – a longtime vegan – said: “PETA told me about Benjy, and I felt compelled to help. All animals have a dire destiny in the meat trade, but to kill this bull because he’s gay would’ve been a double tragedy.” “It thrills me to help PETA and ARAN make Benjy’s fate a sanctuary rather than a sandwich,” he added. Newstalk Radio, 12 December 2014.
35. Petitions - please sign and share
Ban Blood Sports in Ireland Now https://www.change.org/petitions/ban-blood-sports-in-ireland Minister Humphreys – Stop Licensing Cruel Hare Coursing https://www.change.org/p/minister-heather-humphreys-don-t-license-cruel-hare-coursing Stop cruel hare coursing in Millstreet Town Park Minister Coveney: Save Irish hares from cruel coursing Irish Government: Save foxes and dogs from horrific cruelty https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/irish-government-save-foxes-and-dogs-from-horrific-cruelty Minister Simon Coveney: Ban ALL Tail Docking – No Exemptions Ireland: Stop badger snaring cruelty NOW Petition to Ban horrific Hare Coursing Cruelty in Ireland Stop sponsoring hare coursing in Ireland http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-sponsoring-hare-coursing-in-ireland# Protect the Irish Hare http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/protect-the-irish-hare End Cruel Blood Sport of Fox Hunting in Ireland http://forcechange.com/30176/end-cruel-blood-sport-of-fox-hunting-in-ireland/#gf_1 Limerick Racecourse: Stop hosting cruel hare coursing https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/limerick-racecourse-stop-hosting-cruel-hare-coursing Stop the mass torture and murder of dogs and cats in South Korea Coillte – Ban hunters from your forests http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/irish-forestry-board-ban-hunters-from-your-property Drogheda Borough Council: Do not legalise urban 10 seater horse-drawn carriages in County Louth Ban Fur Sales on eBay https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/ban-fur-sales-on-ebay# Stormont Assembly: Ban Fox and Stag Hunting in Northern Ireland Ban Torturous Hanging of Greyhounds in Spain http://forcechange.com/24603/#gf_17 Dunnes Stores: Lift Ban on Animal Charities Fundraising http://www.change.org/petitions/dunnes-supermarket-end-your-ban-on-animal-groups Arts Council of Ireland: Stop funding animal circuses http://www.change.org/petitions/arts-council-of-ireland-stop-funding-animal-circuses Stop the EU funding bullfighting Stop Torturing Bears: End Bear Bile Farming In China http://forcechange.com/64173/stop-torturing-bears-end-bear-bile-farming-in-china Petition – Add “Report Animal Abuse” option on Facebook http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/add-report-option-animal-abuse-on-facebook.html End Bullfighting in France http://forcechange.com/94113/end-bullfighting-in-france STOP Spain’s cruel and barbaric Toro de la Vega http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-toro-de-la-vega-2013 Protect Pygmy Rabbit from Extinction http://forcechange.com/127886/protect-pygmy-rabbit-from-extinction/#.U6wPl5vscDQ.twitter Save the Wild Tigers of Vietnam http://forcechange.com/132544/save-the-wild-tigers-of-vietnam Demand an End to Civet Coffee Bean Farming http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/931/941/945/?z00m=21512698&redirectID=1466634482 Stop upcoming wolf hunt in Wisconsin
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Keep hunters off your land
Make it known publicly that your land is off-limits to hunters. Place a preservation notice in your local newspaper now. Here is a sample notice that you may wish to use: "Take notice that all my lands at [Insert address(es) of land] are private and preserved day and night. All forms of hunting and shooting are strictly prohibited. Trespassers will be prosecuted. Signed [Insert name(s) of landowner]" For more information, click on Farmers at www.banbloodsports.com
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Campaign newsletter of the Irish Council Against Blood Sports
02. Bloodsports cruelty continues over Christmas and into New Year
03. Over 28,000 sign petition for a ban on Ireland's cruel coursing
04. Realex urged to stop facilitating sale of tickets to cruelty event
05. More Councillors express opposition to bloodsports
06. "I support a ban on Ireland's cruel coursing": Linda Martin
07. Crushing blow to convicted hare coursers in UK
08. Minister Simon Coveney: I have no plans to ban hare coursing
09. Joe Walsh Tours thanked for removing suggestion to visit bullfight
10. Gardai standing next to coursers' catering tent were on traffic duty
11. Justice Minister: Ward Union deer incident under investigation
12. Minister urged to close loophole being exploited by deer hunters
13. Offensive to women: Complaint upheld against greyhound stadium ad
14. Ask Irish Independent to drop coursing from sports section
15. Coveney challenged on animal welfare commitment claim
16. Hedgecutting changes threaten wildlife: Submissions sought
17. Doping of dogs is “haunting” Irish greyhound racing industry
18. Increased "animal welfare" grant for group encouraging killing
19. Donegal deer poachers convicted and fined
20. I'm against animals being hunted: Landowner tells hunters to leave
21. 10 Reasons to Keep Hunters Off Your Land
22. Bullfighting is disgusting: Revd Canon Patrick Comerford
23. Companies asked to stop selling bullfighting tickets
24. City Discovery urged to drop bullfighting from tour
25. Leading stag do company drops suggestion to visit bullfight
26. Oliver's Travels removes bullfighting lessons
27. The Apology Song from The Book of Life
28. Animals suffer a perpetual winter solstice
29. Severe suffering for 200,000 animals in Irish labs
30. Cork farmer fined €4,000 for ‘barbaric’ bovine tail docking
31. Fur shoppers exposed to ugly reality
32. Dail Questions & Answers
33. Letters to the Editor
34. Campaign Quotes
35. Petitions - please sign and share
– This cruel blood sport should be banned outright. The Irish hare is an endangered species.
– Outrageous, barbaric and incredibly cruel. Stop it now please
– We’re a supposedly civilised country. This coursing must stop
– I don’t understand how Ms Humphreys could justify her support for the “sport”. Time for a ban
– No words for this horrible act
– This is barbaric, primitive behaviour
CEO, Realex Payments
The Observatory
7-11 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay
Dublin 2
Tweet to @realexpayments @colmlyon
Tel (Dublin): +353 (0) 1 702 2000
Tel: (01) 631 3802 or (01) 631 3800
Leave a comment on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/heather.humphreysfg
Tweet to Heather Humphreys: @HHumphreysFG
(If you have time, please compose your own personal letter. Otherwise, feel free to send the short sample letter below. Be assertive, but polite, in all correspondence. Thank you.)
Minister for Agriculture
Agriculture House,
Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Email: Simon.Coveney@oireachtas.ie
Tel: 01-607 2884 or LoCall 1890-200510.
To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will close off the loophole in existing legislation that is being exploited by the Ward Union Stag Union, to enable them to in effect hunt stags; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
The Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2010 makes it an offence to hunt deer with two or more dogs. It is understood that since the enactment of the legislation the Ward Union Hunt have operated a “drag hunt” in order to comply with the legislation. This form of hunting involves the release of a deer to set a scent over a course. Following the recapture of the deer, the hounds and horses follow the scent. This practice is not considered to be hunting, as defined in the Wildlife Acts.
Tel: 01 705 5333
Tweet: @Independent_ie
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Independent.ie?rf=105633409470008
Minister Humphreys to review existing burning and hedge cutting controls
Danger that review could result in blanket exemption destroying our biodiversity
Tweet to @simoncoveney
Leave a message on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SimonCoveney
Donegal News, November 28, 2014
http://www.patrickcomerford.com/2014/04/bullfighting-may-be-part-of-spanish.html
Please ask Ticketmaster, Carrefour and El Corte Ingles to show compassion for the tortured bulls and stop selling bullfighting tickets.
Leave a comment Facebook http://www.facebook.com/elcorteingles?v=wall
Send a tweet to @elcorteingles
Leave a comment Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Ticketmaster
Send a tweet to @Ticketmaster @TicketmasterES
CEO, Carrefour
Email: georges_plassat@carrefour.com
Leave a comment Facebook https://www.facebook.com/carrefour
Send a tweet to @CarrefourES @GroupeCarrefour Por favor, dejar de vender boletos corrida #Crueldad
Leave a coment on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CityDiscovery
Tweet “Please remove bullfighting from your Madrid tour” to @CityDiscovery
Tel: +1 866-988-8687 (USA) or +44 20 7193 8320 (UK)
Your royal blood was never meant to decorate the sand
You’ve suffered great injustice, so have thousands before you
I offer an apology, and one long over due
Hear my song, and know I sing the truth
Although we were bred to fight, I reach for kindness in your heart tonight
To tell you that I’m sorry, let us end this dance of death
Two centuries of agony, that to your heart we sent
Here and now with my amends, the senseless killing ends
Hear my song, and know I sing the truth
Although we bred to fight, I reach for kindness in your heart tonight
by Fiona O’Connell
Sunday Independent, 21st December 2014
‘It is unacceptable that such medieval and barbaric treatment of animals takes place in 21st century Ireland. Not only are these experiments horrifically cruel, but artificially induced ‘depression’ and the forced swim test are not reliable or state-of-the-art ways of modelling human despair and misery. Surely it would be more useful to study real women and children afflicted by the scourge of drug abuse than hide away in laboratories causing terrible pain to animals to obtain data of spurious worth?’
Case against Noel Lynch believed to be first of its kind in the State
Irish Times – 4th December 2014
Tel: 01-607 2884 or LoCall 1890-200510.
Fax: 01 661 1013 and 021 437 4862
Questions 504 – Answered on 9th December, 2014.
Questions 276 – Answered on 9th December, 2014.
o not course hares more than once per day,
o not course sick or injured hares,
o have adequate escapes for hares during coursing,
o comply with Irish Coursing Club directives,
o co-operate with National Parks and Wildlife Service staff .
Douglas Post, December 2014
Campaign for the Abolition Of Cruel Sports
Irish Independent, 19th December 2014
Campaign for the Abolition Of Cruel Sports
Callan, Co Kilkenny
Irish Independent, December 13, 2014
Waterford
Sunday Independent sports section, December 14th 2014Top ways you can help the campaign •
Join our email list and respond to our Action Alerts
•
Become a campaign supporter and make a donation to help fund our efforts
•
Contact your local politicians and ask them to support a ban on blood sports
•
Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube
•
Sign up for our free text alert service and receive occasional campaign updates to your phone
•
Link to our website and display one of our banners
•
Monitor blood sports meetings in your area and provide us with photos, video and reports.
•
Write a letter to your local newspaper about the cruelty of blood sports
•
Sign and collect signatures for our petitions
•
Organise a fund-raiser to help raise funds for the campaign
•
Set up an online anti-blood sports group to cover your area.
•
Download, print and display our posters and leaflets
•
Set up an information stand at your school/library/youth group/adult group, etc
•
Introduce your friends to our website and encourage them to get involved.
•
Simply keeping your ear to the ground.
about any blood-sport related incidents in your area.
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