Paolo Nutini "in no way supports fox hunting or any other type of blood sports"
14 February 2013

The Irish Council Against Blood Sports has welcomed a statement from popular Scottish singer, Paolo Nutini, in which it is confirmed that he does not support bloodsports. ICABS contacted the star after he was photographed at a hunt ball in Westmeath while in Ireland recording.

The statement, published on Facebook, stresses that Paolo Nutini "in no way supports fox hunting or any other type of animal blood sports" and that he "doesn't endorse the hunting of any animal".

In relation to his presence at the hunt ball, it is stated that that he "was not fully aware of the nature of this party".

The Irish Council Against Blood Sports is very happy that Paolo's stance has been clarified and that he stands with the majority of Irish people who are opposed to foxhunting.

After learning that Paolo was photographed at a Westmeath Hunt ball, we sent him information about some of the victims of this hunting group - including a fox that was chased by hounds into the freezing water of a canal - and the gruesome practice of digging out foxes and cutting off their tongues and tails. We also told him about a 2007 investigation into the Westmeath Hunt after a landowner alleged that during a hunt, he saw a rope being tied to the leg of a fox which was then pulled out of the ground and "fed alive to the dogs".

We have thanked Paolo for expressing his anti-hunting position.

 ACTION ALERTS 

Thank Paolo for expressing his anti-hunting stance

Leave a comment on his Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/PaoloNutini

Appeal to the Minister for Agriculture

Please appeal to the Minister for Agriculture to remove an exemption for foxhunting from the new Animal Welfare Bill.

Simon Coveney, TD
Minister for Agriculture
Department of Agriculture
Agriculture House,
Kildare Street, Dublin 2.

Email: minister@agriculture.gov.ie
Tel: 01-607 2884 or LoCall 1890-200510.
Fax: 01-661 1013.

Contact all your local TDs now and urge them to support a ban on foxhunting.

Email TDs quickly and easily from www.contact.ie/contact

Find out the names of your TDs and their email addresses.

http://www.oireachtas.ie/members%2Dhist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=31&disp=const
http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?fn=/documents/Members_emails/document1.htm

If you prefer to post a letter to your TDs, address your correspondence to:
Dáil Éireann
Leinster House
Kildare Street
Dublin 2.

Urgently contact An Taoiseach Enda Kenny and An Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore and ask them to back a ban on blood sports.

An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny
Department of the Taoiseach,
Government Buildings,
Upper Merrion Street,
Dublin 2
Telephone: 01-6194020
Fax: 01-6764048
Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie

An Tanaiste, Eamon Gilmore
Office of the Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade,
Iveagh House,
80 St. Stephen's Green,
Dublin 2.
Tel: 01 6183566 (Dail)
Tel: 01 408 2000 (Iveagh House)
Fax: 01 408 2400
Email: eamon.gilmore@oireachtas.ie

The cruelty of foxhunting in Westmeath

• A 2011 Farmers' Journal hunting report told of how sixteen mounted followers of the Westmeath hunt, along with 29 hounds, found a fox that was caught and "chopped." Later on, another fox was "overhauled before he managed to put any distance between himself and them." Both "chopped" and "overhauled," in hunting terminology, mean that the fox was caught by the hounds and brutally killed.
• In 2007, there was a probe into allegations that a rope was tied to the leg of a fox and that it was pulled out of a burrow and fed alive to the dogs - See Irish Independent report.
• A 2008 Irish Field report revealed that the Westmeath Hunt's hounds chased a fox into the freezing water of the Royal canal and along its banks - the fox and the pack swam across the canal and continued along the banks to the Mullingar/Ballynacargy Road...the fox, with four and a half couple (9 hounds) in pursuit, then swam the canal again before retracing their steps back to Newman's Bog." Following complaints, Waterways Ireland moved to contact the hunt and tell them to keep away from the Royal Canal.
• The Irish Field of December 1991 documented the obscene ritual of cutting off the tails and tongues of foxes - "Terriers were some time in coming as car followers were the wrong side of the wind for hearing. A quick dig followed and two foxes were dispatched. Eamon had a brush for Clarissa and a fox's tongue which he intends pickling in vinegar to cure warts and draw thorns." (Westmeath Foxhounds, Hunt Report)

Videos: Ireland's foxhunting cruelty

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