Sickening video footage from last weekend's coursing meeting in Loughrea captures the moment a hare is caught and severely mauled. The footage from the shameful County Galway event shows the trapped hare pushed and pinned to the ground by the dogs before a courser runs in to pull the animal's battered body away. The hare is likely to have suffered serious internal injuries as a result. The individual who filmed the mauling told ICABS that this was one of at least two hares seen being mauled and killed. After snatching the hare away from the dogs, the courser can be seen grabbing the animal by the ears and slowly carrying him off the field. It's an outrage that in 2016, hares are being forced to endure the cruelty of coursing. Shame on Minister Heather Humphreys and the National Parks and Wildlife Service for granting a licence to coursers to go out into the countryside to catch hares in nets, keep them in captivity for weeks/months and use them as live lures for dogs to chase. For no other reason than to provide entertainment and gambling opportunities to those who find fun in watching animals running for dear life. Shame also on the 114 TDs who had an opportunity to finally outlaw hare coursing last June but instead queued up in Dail Eireann to shamefully vote against a ban. We will be bringing this video to the attention of each and every one of them to show them the result of their disgraceful votes. ACTION ALERT Urge Minister Heather Humphreys to show compassion for the persecuted Irish Hare and stop licensing coursing. Email "NO MORE HARE COURSING LICENCES" to Heather.Humphreys@oireachtas.ie, ministers.office@ahg.gov.ie, taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.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 SAMPLE LETTER (If you have time, please compose your own personal letter. Otherwise, feel free to send the short sample letter below) Dear Minister, I am one of the majority who want hare coursing outlawed. I am writing to urge you to stop licensing this cruel bloodsport. 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. Act on the wishes of the majority, show compassion and ban this bloodsport. Yours sincerely, [Name/Location] Please appeal to the Minister for Agriculture and Taoiseach to remove an exemption for hare coursing from the Animal Health and Welfare Act. Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD / Michael Creed TD Dail Eireann, Kildare St, Dublin Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie,michael.creed@oir.ie Tel: +353 (0)1-6194020 (Enda Kenny) Tel: +353 (0)1-607 2000 (Michael Creed) Contact all your local TDs now. Demand that they urgently push for a ban on hare coursing and all bloodsports. 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.