ISPCA calls on Government to stop issuing hare coursing licences

Ellen O'Donoghue

The ISPCA is calling on the Government to abolish the issuing of hare coursing licences and to put an end to what it calls a “cruel, outdated and barbaric practice, which is currently permitted to satisfy just a small minority of Irish people.”

The ISPCA said they are strongly opposed to Irish hares being captured from their natural habitat, handled, transported, and kept in captivity until they are released to be chased by dogs, muzzled or not, before being returned to the wild if they survive.

It said it believes allowing the practice to continue is not in line with Ireland’s Animal Welfare Strategy published by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) in 2021.

The charity’s chief executive, Dr Cyril Sullivan, said that Ireland remains one of three countries in all of Europe that continues to allow legal hare coursing and called it shameful.

“It is well known that the capture and handling of wild animals causes distress, and inflicting unnecessary suffering on innocent Irish hares is totally unacceptable in modern society,” he said.

During the 2023/24 season, over 3,000 hares were captured from the wild and subjected to being coursed. Over 100 of those were hit or tossed by dogs, more than 130 were pinned, and over 120 hares needed veterinary attention, with some dying or being euthanised because of injuries sustained, Dr Sullivan said.

“Under the Wildlife Act 1976, the Irish hare is a protected species, making it illegal to hunt, kill, trap or sell them. There should be no hesitation in ending this appalling activity by putting a stop to issuing these licences. Ending hare coursing would be a progressive move and one that shows Ireland taking animal welfare seriously,” he added.

The ISPCA said it is also concerned about illegal hare coursing. In 2016, the ISPCA and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to work together on issues where wildlife offences and animal welfare offences overlap and to take a multi-agency approach to combatting such illegal activities.

The MOU is currently being reviewed with a view to strengthening the working relationship between the two agencies.

The ISPCA are asking for more funding for the NPWS to tackle illegal hunting rather than funding legal hare coursing.

They added that they feel hare coursing is not acceptable in a progressive Ireland in the 21st century and “it is time the welfare of all animals was prioritised instead of an outdated practice.”