National - Event Notice
Thursday January 01 1970

Protest against "exemptions" for hare coursing and fox hunting in "animal welfare" bill

national | environment | event notice

Monday March 25, 2013 15:33

by Ban Animal Cruelty posing as "sport"

New law makes a mockery of "animal protection" pledge by government

Protest on Thursday re “animal welfare" bill that protects...

Hare coursing and Fox hunting!

Peaceful protest: Location: Dail Eireann, Dublin. Date: Thursday, March 28th. Time. 12.30 to 2 pm.

This "sport" could be permitted under "animal welfare" bill

On Wednesday and Thursday (March 27th and 28th) of this week, the government proposes to enact into law the Animal Health and Welfare Bill, which it has promised will update protection of animals in Ireland.

However, the Bill will specifically exempt some of the most horrific animal cruelty practises ever devised by man: Hare coursing, Fox hunting, and the practise of “digging out” foxes or fox-cubs that go to ground during a hunt.

So, instead of protecting hares and foxes from cruelty, the Bill will protect the interests of the powerful coursing and hunt clubs, allowing them to continue inflicting savage and completely indefensible distress and suffering on these animals for “sport”.

The proposed exemptions would make a travesty of a Bill that purports to modernise our animal welfare laws.

The Bill has been proceeding slowly through the Oireachtas for months but the Final Stage will be debated this week and the bill is expected to be voted into law on Thursday.

Attached links below show that the blood sports activities to be exempted from prohibition are indeed cruel, despite ludicrous claims that the animals are “humanely treated” in coursing and foxhunting.

Deputies Clare Daly and Maureen O’ Sullivan will be challenging the government’s bid to exempt these two blood sports under the Bill.

A reasonable turnout for the protest on Thursday would help to drive home the message that the exemptions are unacceptable to people who believe that animal cruelty should not be protected by a law enacted to protect animals from such cruelty.

The cruel nature of live hare coursing that all animal protection groups, and (according to opinion polls) the majority of the Irish people, object to, has been repeatedly captured on film. The veracity of the following footage has not been questioned. As you will see, the “action” filmed is very similar to the types of incidents observed and reported by NPWS rangers.

The following three pieces of footage were filmed at the 2013 “Irish Cup” live hare coursing event, held at Limerick Racecourse in February:

1)

Cruel coursing scene at Limerick Racecourse
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xy224b_disgusting-crue...imals

2)

Hare cries out when hit and mauled
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xy21zl_hare-cries-out-...imals

3)

Hare severely mauled and carried off field
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xy21v5_hare-severely-m...imals

A brief film about hare coursing in Ireland:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k1L1JfKi3N8RkNAwGy?sta...rt=12