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Fox savaged by hounds in Cork: Renewed calls for ban on foxhunting
03 March 2017
There are renewed calls for a ban on cruel foxhunting after the emergence of footage showing a pack of hounds savaging a fox in Cork. In the sickening footage, recently uploaded to Instagram by an individual connected to the Cloyne Harriers hunt, hounds can be seen in a frenzied attack on a fox at the end of a hunt. The video is accompanied by the message - "hounds had a good day's hunting today".
Another video shows hounds attacking a fox in a hole - this fox was most likely dug out of its refuge. The appalling scene is accompanied by horn blowing and bloodcurdling shrieks which convey the bloodlust of those involved. The caption beneath the video reads: "He [the fox] is in there somewhere # foxhunting # harriers # terrierwork # patterdale # cubbing". The reference to cubbing suggests that the unfortunate victim was a young fox cub.
A photo posted by the same individual shows two Patterdale terriers along with the message: "Always looking for more work # workingterriers # NoFoxTooDeep # DiggingFoxes # WorkingFoxDogs"
These diabolic scenes are replicated over and over again in the Irish countryside during foxhunting.
In foxunting, foxes are chased to exhaustion and attacked and killed by packs of hounds. Foxes who attempt to escape underground are dug out with shovels and spades and thrown to the hounds to pull asunder. The suffering of foxes terrorised and killed in foxhunting is unimagineable.
The horrendous cruelty inflicted on foxes in foxhunting is currently legal thanks to an exemption shamefully included in the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 by the then Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney. In the "Prohibition on animal cruelty" section of the act, it is stated: "Nothing in this section applies in relation to anything which occurs in the ordinary course of lawfully hunting an animal, unless the animal is released in an injured, mutilated or exhausted condition". Without this exemption, those involved in foxhunting would face criminal prosecution for cruelty.
The time has come for the Irish Government to finally outlaw this disgusting bloodsport. It has long been banned in England, Scotland and Wales and a ban here in Ireland is long overdue.
Renewed calls for a ban on cruel foxhunting after the emergence of footage showing hounds savaging a fox in Cork. https://t.co/bbvImbQJcg pic.twitter.com/O3tUE4Qjhc
— Ban Blood Sports (@banbloodsports) March 2, 2017
ACTION ALERTS
Sign our "Ban Blood Sports in Ireland" petition
https://www.change.org/petitions/ban-blood-sports-in-ireland
Sign Now
Please join us in demanding the removal from the Animal Health and Welfare Act of an exemption for foxhunting. Contact the government and all your local TDs and tell them the time is now for a ban on foxhunting.
Michael Creed TD
Minister for Agriculture
Department of Agriculture
Agriculture House,
Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Email: michael.creed@oir.ie
Tel: 01-607 2000 or LoCall 1890-200510.
Fax: 01-661 1013.
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelcreedtd
Tweet to: @creedcnw
Tweet to @creedcnw
Contact the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny and Tanaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Frances Fitzgerald and urge them to ban fox hunting.
An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny
Department of the Taoiseach,
Government Buildings,
Upper Merrion Street,
Dublin 2
Telephone: 01-6194020
Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie
Tweet to: @EndaKennyTD Tweet to @EndaKennyTD
An Tanaiste, Frances Fitzgerald
Department Of Justice
51 St. Stephen's Green
Dublin 2.
Tel: +353 1 602-8202 or +353 1 457 7712
Email: frances.fitzgerald@oir.ie
Tweet to: @FitzgeraldFrncs Tweet to @EndaKennyTD
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frances-Fitzgerald/302584593224671
Appeal to all Irish politicians
Please join us in telling the Irish Government that it is now time to replace foxhunting with the humane alternative - drag hunting.
Drag hunting sees the hounds chasing an artificial lure instead of a live animal. This form of "hunting" is already practised successfully by a few groups in Ireland. In a modern and civilised country like Ireland, there should be no place for foxhunting, particularly when a transition to drag hunting would be simple.
Please contact all your local politicians and ask them to express their opposition to this blood sport. Encourage your friends, family and workmates to contact them too.
Visit the Oireachtas website for names of TDs and their email addresses http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=32&disp=mem
Write to your TDs at: Dail Eireann, Leinster House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Tel: 01-618 3000 or 1890 337 889.
Please also arrange a meeting with your TDs at their local clinics.
Videos: Irish hunting cruelty
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