New political push against hare coursing

international | animal rights | opinion/analysis

Tuesday January 31, 2012 08:29

by Ban Hare Coursing Now!

We hope politicians of all parties who oppose the savagery of hare coursing will support the Private Members Bill that Dail Deputies Maureen O’ Sullivan and Clare Daly intend to move shortly.

Picture shows: right to left: Minister Joe Costello, Deputy Clare Daly, Noel Gregory (brother of the late independent TD Tony Gregory), Roderick O' Gorman, Green Party Chairman, and Aideen Yourell, PRO of the Irish Council Against Blood Sports.

We are delighted to say that a government minister, Labour's Joe Costello, joined the well attended protest against live hare coursing on January 30th outside the Department of Agriculture in Dublin. He stood shoulder with Clare Daly, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan and Noel Gregory, brother of the late Tony Gregory who first raised the hare coursing issue in the Dail.
The protest by a variety of animal protection groups was held to coincide with opening day of the National Hare Coursing "festival" in Clonmel.

Coursing cruelty continues...

Because muzzling failed to protect the hares in coursing, we and all animal welfare groups in Ireland continue to press for a ban on the activity.
Hares can still be mauled by the dogs, pinned to the ground, forcibly struck by them, tossed about like playthings, or otherwise injured. Film footage has been recorded and is available showing such injury being inflicted. The hare is a brittle-boned creature and its internal injuries cannot heal. Injured hares have to be put down.

Reports obtained from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) under FOI show that hares are subjected to injury and suffering at almost all coursing events.

Another problem for hares used in coursing is that of Capture Myopathy, a stress-related condition affecting a number of wildlife species, including the hare. Such animals may die hours or days after undergoing an intensely traumatic experience. In the case of the hare, capture by humans and confinement in unnatural captivity, coupled with the ordeal of being terrorized by pairs of greyhounds, can dramatically shortly its lifespan. Hares have been to known to die of heart attacks.

The failure of muzzling to make coursing a humane sport was brought into sharp focus last year when Paddy Sweeney, a well known vet and long-time supporter of hare coursing (he attends the National Coursing Meeting every year), expressed his unease with the treatment of hares at last February’s event in Clonmel. His concern is borne out by the reports of coursing events filed by the NPWS rangers.

We favour the replacement of the live hare in coursing with a mechanical lure, as happens in Australia and other countries where live coursing is illegal. This replicates all the action and excitement of coursing but without the cruelty.
We will be lobbying politicians of all parties in the coming weeks to support the Private Members Bill announced earlier today.