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Coursing cruelty continues this week in Mallow, Co Cork
23 October 2014
Hares are again running for their lives this week as Ireland's cruel hare coursing continues. At Mallow, Co Cork, hares that have been forcefully netted from the wild are being used as live bait for greyhounds. The meeting goes ahead despite an apparent breach of a licence issued to the club.
Documents obtained by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports under Freedom of Information show that at Mallow coursing meeting last year, a ranger encountered lack of cooperation. When she arranged to meet the coursers to release the hares, they failed to turn up and refused to give her a mobile number, telling her that the organiser had no mobile phone (a likely story in this day and age!).
According to condition 18 of the licence, coursing clubs "shall co-operate fully with any officer of the Minister and shall comply with any request made by such an officer in the course of his/her duties".
Despite insisting last month that "all conditions of the coursing licences must be fully adhered to" and that "breaches of the conditions of the licences will not be tolerated", Minister Heather Humphreys disregarded calls for the Mallow coursing to be stopped.
See below for more information about what happened to hares at Mallow coursing meeting in recent years.
ICABS is renewing its appeal to Minister Heather Humphreys to show compassion for the hares and withdraw the licence she shamefully issued for this cruelty.
MALLOW
Mallow, Co Cork 23/24 October 2013
Coursers stated that 4 hares "required assistance" and were examined by vet, with 1 dying from natural causes, as confirmed by vet. However, vet did not refer to any injuries and deaths on his report and no post mortem was conducted. Interestingly, 3 were released on day 1 of coursing. NPWS ranger stated that "3 hit hares were released without my knowledge after coursing on 23rd. Including these 3, there are 39 hares unaccounted for". Ranger further stated that she had arranged to meet the coursers to supervise the release of 22 hares, but that at the appointed time, the coursers had not turned up. She said that "while arranging this meeting, they (the coursers) avoided giving me a mobile number, saying the organiser had no mobile and shrugging when I asked for someone else's mobile". NOTE: The National Parks and Wildlife Service censored part of the ranger's report.
Mallow, Co Cork - October 24/25, 2012
8 hares hit by greyhounds, with ranger noting that "muzzle came off one dog as it pinned hare". 2 hares were killed and 1 injured "broken leg", 2 died of injuries, plus another dead hare at release point.
Mallow, October 22/23, 2011
9 hares hit by muzzled dogs, and 1 “escaped” from paddock.
ACTION ALERTS
Express your support for a ban on coursing. Sign and share petitions
Stop Licensing Cruel Hare Coursing
Save Irish hares from cruel coursing
Ban horrific hare coursing cruelty in Ireland
Stop sponsoring hare coursing in Ireland
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
[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]
Tel: (01) 631 3802 or (01) 631 3800
Leave a comment on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/heather.humphreysfg
Tweet to Heather Humphreys: @HHumphreysFG
Tweet to @HHumphreysFG
SAMPLE LETTER
(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.)
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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] |
Appeal to the Minister for Agriculture
Please appeal to the Minister for Agriculture to remove an exemption for hare coursing from the Animal Health and Welfare Act.
Simon Coveney, TD
Minister for Agriculture
Agriculture House,
Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Email: Simon.Coveney@oireachtas.ie
Tel: 01-607 2884 or LoCall 1890-200510.
Fax: 01-661 1013.
Urgently contact An Taoiseach Enda Kenny and ask him to back a ban on hare coursing.
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
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.
Find out their contact details
Please also arrange a meeting with your TDs at their local clinics.
Make a donation to ICABS
Please consider making a donation to ICABS. For more details, please click on the button below or follow this link to find out how to become a campaign supporter. Thank you.
