Animal cruelty a concern for all
I WRITE in response to Bernadette Barrett (Letters, April 14) in an attempt to provide the facts from the Irish Coursing Club's (ICC) perspective and let people decide for themselves.
Ms Barrett's "incredulity" that the ICC would react in such a manner to the orchestrated infliction of suffering on a hare is indeed incredulous to the ICC. It is obvious to anyone viewing the "dying hare" video that this hare is restrained with a wire-like device causing it to suffer to generate the desired reaction.
It was more important for the cameraperson to "get the shot" than try and alleviate the hare's suffering. It is quite peculiar that this footage was released on You Tube by the Association of Hunt Saboteurs Ireland eight weeks after the alleged filming of the footage. Even then, their only course of action was to post it on the internet with no effort to inform the gardai or any other responsible authority to investigate this wanton act of cruelty.
The ICC took action by reporting the matter to the gardai and, to provide a heightened degree of awareness on the issue, is now offering a reward of €20,000 to anyone who provides information leading to a prosecution.
Some people may criticise us for trying to assist fully in this investigation but for us it is particularly important, especially since it is only by promoting and contributing positively that we can ensure a healthy Irish hare population continues to exist and proliferate on this Island for many years to come.
Ms Barrett's depiction of coursing suggests she has not attended coursing meetings since the 1993 muzzling of greyhounds regulation, removing the risk of a kill.
DJ Histon
Irish Coursing Club
Clonmel, Co Tipperary
