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Hares continuing to suffer in Ireland's cruel coursing: Latest evidence
30 October 2017

The video Ireland's cruel hare coursers don't want you to see. Our footage was filmed on Sunday morning and on Monday afternoon (October 29/30) before we came under attack from a balaclava-clad courser thug who roared "give me that f***ing camera". The video captures the awful plight of hares used in coursing - a bloodsport shamefully licensed by Minister Heather Humphreys and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

The terrorised hares - all cruelly netted from the wild - could be seen desperately running for their lives from the dogs during a coursing meeting in Ballinagar, County Offaly. We filmed a hare being hit hard and sent tumbling head over heels, a greyhound falling head-first into the ground and hares being chased back and forth across the field.

Hare coursing is already illegal in all our neighbouring jurisdictions (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and a ban is long overdue here in the Republic. The time has come for the government to call a halt to the cruelty, withdraw the latest coursing licence and put in a place a permanent ban on hare coursing.

 URGENT ACTION ALERT 

Please join us as we renew our appeal to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and the Irish Government to stop facilitating the thuggish brutes who get their pleasure from watching animals running for their lives and instead side with the decent majority who want coursing banned.

Email "Stop the cruelty - Ban hare coursing NOW" to taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie, leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie, frances.fitzgerald@oir.ie

An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar
Department of the Taoiseach,
Government Buildings,
Upper Merrion St, Dublin 2
Telephone: +353 (0)1-6194020
Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie, leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie,frances.fitzgerald@oir.ie
Tweet to: @campaignforLeo
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campaignforleo/

Contact Minister Heather Humphreys and the National Parks and Wildlife Service and urge them to withdraw the coursing licence and put in place permanent protection for hares.

Heather Humphreys, TD
Minister for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs
Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
23 Kildare Street
Dublin 2

Email: Heather.Humphreys@oireachtas.ie, ministers.office@ahg.gov.ie, taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie, leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie, wildlifelicence@ahg.gov.ie, Gerry.Leckey@ahg.gov.ie
Tel: +353 (0)1 631 3802 or +353 (0)1 631 3800
Leave a comment on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/heather.humphreysfg
Tweet to: @HHumphreysFG

See also
Balaclava-clad thug launches attack while ICABS gathers evidence of hare coursing cruelty in Ballinagar
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/1471800336268853

Gerry Leckey
Wildlife Licensing Unit
National Parks & Wildlife Service
Ely Place, Dublin 2
Tel: +353 (0)1 888 3289
Email: wildlifelicence@ahg.gov.ie,Gerry.Leckey@ahg.gov.ie

Express your support for a ban on coursing. Sign and share the petitions

Ireland: Ban cruel hare coursing
https://www.change.org/p/ireland-ban-cruel-hare-coursing

Stop Licensing Cruel Hare Coursing
https://www.change.org/p/minister-heather-humphreys-stop-licensing-cruel-hare-coursing

Ban Blood Sports in Ireland
https://www.change.org/petitions/ban-blood-sports-in-ireland

Balaclava-clad thug launches attack while ICABS gathers evidence of hare coursing cruelty
30 October 2017

Members of the Irish Council Against Blood Sports came under attack today while gathering evidence of hare coursing cruelty in Ballinagar, County Offaly. A balaclava-clad thug, with all the appearances of a gangland criminal, rushed us while we were filming from a public area overlooking the coursing field.

The thug charged at the cameraman roaring "give me the camera, give me that f***ing camera". He proceeded to manhandle him, trying to drag him from the car and attempting to grab the video camera. He forced our car door open and clung to the side of the vehicle, only letting go when the vehicle started picking up speed. As we drove away, he ran out on to the road menacingly.

This is the latest incidence of thuggery, violence and intimidation by the coursers in their desperate attempt to prevent evidence of their cruelty being exposed to an increasingly disgusted public.

The Gardai arrived on the scene - apparently summoned by the coursers who falsely claimed we were filming from private property. They lied to the Gardai and wasted their time in an effort to try and get us to stop recording. While speaking to the Gardai and ensuring them that we always stay within the law, we outlined the terror tactics used by the coursers.

We did manage to obtain video footage today and yesterday of the awful plight of the hares (see footage above). The terrified creatures could be seen desperately running for their lives from the dogs in this shameful blood sport licensed by Minister Humphreys and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

We will not be deterred by coursing thugs and will continue exposing the ugly truth about their shameful activity until coursing is banned and the Irish Hare is fully protected.

Please join us as we renew our appeal to Minister Heather Humphreys to withdraw the 2017-18 coursing licence she issued. It is time for the government to side with the decent majority who want coursing banned instead of facilitating the thuggish brutes who get their pleasure from watching animals running for their lives.

Video: Ireland's hare coursing cruelty

See video filmed by ICABS last season exposing the cruelty of coursing. Our footage shows hares being hit and mauled at coursing meetings around Ireland.

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