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Ireland's cruel hare coursing continues this weekend
05 December 2014

Ireland's hare coursing cruelty season continues this weekend with hares being forced to run for their lives at meetings in Newcastlewest, Rathdowney and Gorey.

See below for more information about what happened to hares at these meetings in recent years.

Please join us as we renew our appeal to Minister Heather Humphreys to show compassion for the hares and withdraw the licence she shamefully issued for this cruelty.

NEWCASTLEWEST

Newcastlewest, Co Limerick - December 7/8/9, 2012
4 hares hit by dogs.

RATHDOWNEY

Rathdowney Co Laois 7/8 December 2013
Coursers claim that no hares "required assistance", though NPWS ranger's report cites 8 hares hit by dogs and "1 looked to be injured when it was pinned against a wire fence". Coursers claim also that 1 hare "escaped".

GOREY

Gorey, Co. Wexford 26/27 October 2013
Coursers stated that 3 hares "required assistance", 1 injured and 1 put down, plus 3 considered "unsuitable for coursing" by vet. However, NPWS ranger cited 4 hares hit by dogs with 2 dying of injuries.

Gorey, Co. Wexford - Nov 27/28, 2012
12 hares were hit by dogs, with 2 dying as a result of injuries, according to ranger, who was of the opinion that "weather was very cold and wet on the Sunday and this may have affected the hares". Vet noted that no hares were injured during coursing, despite the ranger's report of 2 hares dying of their injuries.

Gorey, 29/30 October, 2011
Over the two days of coursing 16 hares were hit by dogs, with 9 pinned and 7 dying of their injuries, according to NPWS ranger’s report. However, the vet’s report does not cite any hares injured or killed or euthanised.

Videos: Ireland's cruel hare coursing

Videos: Drag coursing, the humane alternative to hare coursing

 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

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.)

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.


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