THE GOVERNMENT’S DRAFT Animal Welfare Bill will make hare coursing exempt from new laws forbidding cruelty to animals.
The Campaign for the Abolition of Cruel Sports (CACS) has called on ministers to amend the legislation, saying it would permit “appalling cruelty” to be inflicted on the hares used in the sport.
However, the Government has said that there is no evidence that coursing, which is banned in the UK, “has a significant effect on hare populations”.
Hare coursing is a sport in which a hare is released in an enclosure and chased down by greyhounds, before being let go into the wild. The dogs are muzzled, but CACS say they can still hit and injure the “terrified” hare.
So what do you think? Should hare coursing be banned?
Poll Results:
More: Opposition TDs propose laws to ban hare coursing>
have your say