The Irish Council Against Blood Sports (ICABS) has learned that Minister Heather Humphreys and the National Parks and Wildlife Service have shamefully licensed another season of cruel hare coursing. They have disregarded appeals from Ireland and around the world for this outdated activity to be stopped. Their disgraceful decision to facilitate cruelty means coursing clubs are again free to go out into the countryside with nets to violently capture thousands of hares and use them as live bait for greyhounds at coursing meetings. All the animals will suffer the fear and stress of being removed from their habitat, thrown into boxes, kept in captivity for months and forced to run for their lives in front of dogs. Hares caught and mauled by the dogs will suffer broken bones or other painful injuries. Some will die on the coursing fields while others will later be euthanised due to the severity of their injuries. A report highlighting the injuries and deaths last season was submitted to Minister Humphreys but she clearly didn't feel moved to save the hares. It is to Ireland's great shame that hare coursing is permitted to continue with the blessing of the "Arts & Heritage" Minister and the government. Their lack of compassion and refusal to stop a bloodsport that is illegal in all our neighbouring jurisdictions condemns thousands of timid hares to another season of suffering. Express your disgust to Minister Heather Humphreys about her licensing of another season of hare coursing cruelty. Email Heather.Humphreys@oireachtas.ie [Heather.Humphreys@oireachtas.ie, ministers.office@ahg.gov.ie, taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie, joan.burton@oireachtas.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 Gerry Leckey Wildlife Licensing Unit National Parks & Wildlife Service Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Ely Place, Dublin 2 Tel: 01 888 3289 Email: wildlifelicence@ahg.gov.ie,Gerry.Leckey@ahg.gov.ie