Hares are again running for their lives this weekend with the start of another season of cruel coursing.
Thanks to a licence from Minister Josepha Madigan and the National Parks and Wildlife Service - who have disregarded a warning from a leading ecologist that the Irish Hare is "in trouble" with numbers declining - the coursers have been out with their nets, rounding up thousands of hares for their bloodsport. The hares are frightened into the nets, disentangled and thrown into boxes, transported to coursing compounds and kept in captivity for weeks or months before being released as live lures for greyhounds to chase before a merciless mob of cheering and gambling coursers.
The 2018-19 coursing season began on Friday in Kilflynn, County Kerry at a three-day meeting that continues today and tomorrow. Hares are also being terrorised today and tomorrow at a coursing meeting in Liscannor, County Clare. Between now and February 24th 2019, thousands of hares will be subjected to this cruelty. All will suffer the fear and stress of being snatched from the wild, manhandled, kept in unnatural captivity and forced to run for their lives. The hares hit and mauled by the dogs will sustain painful injuries such as broken bones and dislocated hips; some will die from their injuries or will be destroyed by vets.
At last year's Kilflynn coursing meet, one hare was reported pinned to the ground by the dogs. At "coursing trials" held a few days beforehand, a NPWS ranger report revealed that 10 hares were hit by dogs, 7 were injured and 2 were "put down as a result of the injuries".
At last year's Liscannor coursing meeting, a hare collapsed and "died of unknown cause". As reported by ICABS earlier this month, documents uploaded to the National Parks and Wildlife Service website show that this hare - one of 71 cruelly snatched from the Clare countryside - was described as "unfit for coursing". "It [the hare] was slipped [released to run up the coursing field] but not coursed," the report outlines. "It collapsed on the course and died of unknown cause." https://www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/files/6_%20Liscannor%20Reports.pdf
Although no post mortem was carried out on this unfortunate hare, an accompanying veterinary report claims the creature "died from natural causes". The coursing documents also revealed that during the two-day Liscannor meeting, at least 5 hares were hit by greyhounds and four were examined for injuries.
Shame on the Irish Government for disregarding the cruelty of coursing and the suffering and death of hares and allowing this appalling activity to continue.
Coursing is illegal in all our neighbouring jurisdictions - Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales - but with an exemption for coursing inserted into the Animal Health and Welfare Act, coursers are currently not liable for prosecution for their animal cruelty. It is time for this to change. Please respond to our action alerts below and sign/share the petitions. Thank you.
ACTION ALERT
With warnings from wildlife experts that the Irish Hare is in trouble, it is now more clear than ever that the species must be given full protection. Urgently contact Minister Josepha Madigan and the National Parks and Wildlife Service and demand that they revoke the 2018-19 hare coursing licence and end all forms of hare persecution.
Minister Josepha Madigan
Minister for Culture, Heritage & the Gaeltacht
Phone: +353 (0)1 631 3800
Email: josepha.madigan@oireachtas.ie, ministers.office@ahg.gov.ie, wildlifelicence@ahg.gov.ie, john.fitzgerald@ahg.gov.ie, Gerry.Leckey@ahg.gov.ie, nature.conservation@ahg.gov.ie
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://facebook.com/JosephaMadiganFG
Tweet to: @josephamadigan
John Fitzgerald
Director, National Parks and Wildlife Service
Phone: +353 (0)1 888 3242
Email: john.fitzgerald@ahg.gov.ie
VIDEOS
See the cruelty of hare coursing on our Youtube channel
https://www.youtube.com/icabs
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 demand that you revoke the 2018-19 hare netting licence that has shamefully been issued.
In coursing, hares suffer and die 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.
I ask you to please act on the wishes of the majority, show compassion and end this cruelty.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
[Name/Location]
The Irish Hare is a protected species but an exemption for coursing in the Animal Health and Welfare Act means coursers are not liable for prosecution for their cruelty. Join us in our call to the government to remove the exemption and provide full and permanent protection to this cherished species.
Contact An Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar and ask him to ban hare coursing and give permanent protection to hares.
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
Tweet to: @campaignforLeo Tweet to @campaignforLeo
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campaignforleo/
Support our campaign with a donation
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