Live Hare Coursing Cruelty to be staged at park frequented by mothers and toddlers

international | animal rights | opinion/analysis

Friday September 07, 2012 12:26

by End Hare Coursing Cruelty

Animal protection groups are calling on calling for an end to the staging of live hare coursing events at a town park frequented by toddlers and keep fit enthusiasts.

"Sport" to be staged in Millstreet Town Park

The town park at Millstreet, County Cork, is to be used again as a venue for horrific live hare coursing event. Captive wild hares will be forced to run from pairs of hyped-up greyhounds in the park, which will be wired off to “contain” the action.

As happened last year, hares will be terrorized and forcibly struck by the dogs, tossed up into the air, or pinned to the ground, suffering severe injuries in the process. The event is scheduled for January 2013.

That such a vile spectacle should be allowed to take place anywhere in Ireland is bad enough, but the town park in Millstreet also serves as a sports venue and as a recreation area for small children.
Mothers with their babies in prams or buggies visit it regularly to avail of the facilities at the park, as do very young children.

The holding of a despicably cruel event (one that is a criminal offence in Britain, Northern Ireland and most of Europe) at this urban centre frequented by children is doubly inappropriate.

We are appealing to the politician who represents the area containing the park to intervene directly to have the horrific animal cruelty event cancelled. She is Aine Collins, TD (Member of Parliament) for the Fine Gael party which is currently in government.

Ms. Collins lives in the town itself and must be aware of the issue.

The Irish Council Against Blood Sports has written to Ms. Collins, stating:
"The hosting of this animal cruelty in Millstreet Town Park represents a major black mark against a town that has so many positive attractions and associations. Hare coursing subjects these delicate, timid creatures to an appalling ordeal. They are torn from their habitats in nets, manhandled into crates, kept in captivity for weeks/months and finally forced to run for their lives in front of pairs of greyhounds.It reflects poorly on Millstreet that this internationally condemned cruelty has been allowed to take place in your town,"
Please join the campaign groups in appealing to Deputy Aine Collins to speak out against hare coursing in Millstreet and back calls for an end to cruelty in the town park.

Her contact details are as follows:

Deputy Aine Collins
Email: aine.collins@oir.ie (Copy to noel.buckley@corkcoco.ie)
Telephone: 01-6183873
Fax: 01-6184522
Twitter: @AineCollinsTD
Facebook: www.facebook.com/aine.collins.fg

And please urge Millstreet-based Fine Gael Councillor, Noel Buckley, to support calls for coursing to be ended in Millstreet town park.
Cllr Noel Buckley
Ballyvouskil,
Millstreet, County Cork.
Email: noel.buckley@corkcoco.ie
Tel: 029 70322
Mobile: 087 779 7422
Fax: 029 71170

The Millstreet Town Park Chairman, William O’Leary can be contacted at: Tel: 029–71171. Please urge him to prohibit any further coursing from taking place in the town park.

A brief clip which shows an Irish government minister attempting to defend live hare coursing in Ireland:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufbvbSbFLok