Most people recognise that netting hares from the wild and using them as live bait for greyhounds is contemptible animal cruelty but Senator Landy sees it differently. Rather than condemning those involved, the Tipperary politician chose to “commend those involved in hare husbandry” before adding that “fantastic crowds turned out and fantastic sport was to be seen.” On his Labour Party profile page, Landy describes himself as “a great lover of the outdoor life and in all field sports”.

Senator Landy’s stance on this issue is all the more reprehensible, given the fact that he is a Labour Party spokesperson on environment and sport.

In a complaint to the Labour Party, ICABS stated: “The coursing meeting which Senator Landy considers worthy of praise is the culmination of a season of cruelty which sees hares being forcefully netted from the wild, thrown into boxes, kept in captivity for weeks/months and eventually forced to run for their lives in front of greyhounds. Sickening photographs taken at the Clonmel event, showing hares desperately trying to escape from the dogs https://www.flickr.com/photos/icabs/sets/72157650567627832/ have drawn international condemnation.”

“We find it disgraceful that an individual acting as a Labour Party spokesperson on environment and sport deems it appropriate to defend one of Ireland’s worst forms of animal cruelty,” we added. “We call on the Labour Party to clarify its stance on hare coursing and to urge Senator Landy to stop defending an activity which most Irish people want made illegal (as it already is in all our neighbouring jurisdictions).”

 ACTION ALERT 

Make a complaint to Senator Landy and the Labour Party about this pro-bloodsprots statement. Tell Senator Landy that he should condemn, not commend, cruel hare coursers.

Tel: 051-641 641
Email: denis.landy@oir.ie,info@labour.ie
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/denis.landy.3

Latest photos from Clonmel show hares running for their lives

 ACTION ALERT 

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.)

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.

Express your support for a ban on coursing. Sign and share thsse other 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

Videos: Ireland's hare coursing cruelty

Make a donation to ICABS

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