OT/Hare coursing (murder) in Britain now

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

I know this is not an Asia event but I cannot believe that Britain

is allowing this barbaric cruelty to occur where they make a game out of

having poor captured hares torn apart alive by dogs.

I am so sick of the cruelty in this world perpetuated by humans on poor

defenceless animals

who have no empathy with nature or compassion to other animals.

Marguerite

 

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Hi Bunny, Leonie and friends,

In spite of our best efforts, the hare coursing event

near Newmarket went ahead this morning, 7 hares being

killed within the first hour. One took 20 seconds to

die, screaming piteously throughout that time, in

front of an enthusiastic crowd of 2000 people and

more.

The event is said to be the 'biggest for 100 years'

and the spectators, it was officially announced, had

come from all around the world: Ireland, Europe,

Israel, Australia and America. One of them, a

pro-hunting British Labour MP Ann Mallalieu, told news

cameras that she believed 'the tide has turned in

favour of hunting with dogs' and that she was

confident the current bill to end hunting would not

get through Parliament.

Thank you for your interest and please do write to our

lousy policians and tell them what you think.

Why does this kind of activity continue? You may well

ask; supporters of blood sports in Britain are very

much in a minority but they now like to think of

themselves as a persecuted ethnic group (as if!) with

the right to have their cultural activities enshrined

and protected by law. Last night, the bully boys

patrolling the country lanes around where the coursing

site was being set up, seemed anything but persecuted!

Interestingly, local people were almost universal in

their opposition to the event, and the local paper

carried articles and letters of protest, but on the

day they chose to stay at home: many of them of course

being employees of the organisers and their friends.

The police, incidentally, drafted in to keep the

peace, seemed to be horrified by the carnage and

somewhat in sympathy with the animal rights protesters

who turned up to demonstrate!

The sad fact is though, that unless people vote with

their feet, nothing will ever be achieved. To misquote

Einstein: the world is a bad place not because of the

evil people, but because of the good people who don't

try and stop them! Best wishes, Ley.

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Email recieved from the UK,

10.December2000

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" .... near where I live a huge internationally-supported hare coursing event

is

about

to take place. As I write, a specially designated

coursing arena out in the fields is being patrolled by

three security firms and the local police to prevent

animal rights campaigners getting near it. Not far

off, so I'm told, wild-caught hares are being held

captive and under guard in readiness for the event,

when one at a time they will be released into an

enclosed space for two competing greyhounds to chase

and kill. It is a four day event, when it's estimated

that up to 700 hares may be killed. I went up to the

area yesterday and walked around the huge, open,

arable fields in the wintry sunlight. There were hares

grazing peacefully on the hillsides - ones as yet

uncaught - and blissfully unaware of the carnage

which will be unleashed on the place next week. "

 

Hare coursing - UK

http://www.ormskirkadvertiser.co.uk/news/feb/260298b.html

 

HARE IS A LIVING TUG OF WAR - MP

by Susan Humphreys

Colin Pickthall says he does not understand what pleasure can be had from

watching hare coursing.

The West Lancs MP spoke on the first day of this year's Waterloo Cup to

explain why he wants the event banned.

 

Mr Pickthall, who has sponsored a 10 Minute Rule Bill which aims to outlaw

hare coursing, said local people are generally against it.

 

" I have only ever had one letter in support of hare coursing from this

area, " he said. " Coursing is almost entirely a spectators' sport. People who

come to watch this event expect to see the hare killed.

 

" The hares are trapped in other parts of the country and transported to

where more are needed. They are even brought in from Ireland, " he said.

 

" On the day, hares are beaten one by one out of the longer grass and have

the distance of the course to escape. When the dogs catch it the hare can

become a living tug of war rope.

 

" I can't for my part understand what pleasure there is to be had. I wonder

about the psychosis of the people who watch that. "

 

From the UK hunting inquiry

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Hares

http://www.huntinginquiry.gov.uk/mainsections/huntingreport.htm

 

62 There are two areas of welfare concern in respect of hare hunting and

coursing: the chase and the " kill " . Although no scientific studies have been

carried out, there is evidence that, in the case of coursing, there can be a

significant delay before a hare which has been caught by the dogs is

dispatched.

 

63 There is a lack of firm scientific evidence about the effect on the

welfare of a hare of being closely pursued, caught and killed by hounds

during hunting. We are satisfied, nevertheless, that although death and

insensibility will normally follow within a matter of seconds, this

experience seriously compromises the welfare of the hare. (Paragraph 6.67)

 

64 We are similarly satisfied that being pursued, caught and killed by dogs

during coursing seriously compromises the welfare of the hare. It is clear,

moreover, that, if the dog or dogs catch the hare, they do not always kill

it quickly. There can also sometimes be a significant delay, in " driven "

coursing, before the " picker up " reaches the hare and dispatches it (if it

is not already dead). In the case of " walked up " coursing, the delay is

likely to be even longer. (Paragraph 6.68)

 

65 In the event of a ban on hunting and coursing hares, it seems likely that

a few more would be shot than at present. There are concerns about the

welfare implications of shooting hares because of wounding rates. (Paragraph

6.69)