Legislation fails to protect fox and hare

How sickening to see the Oireachtas pass a piece of legislation that the Government pledged would update and modernise protection of animals in Ireland but that specifically exempts two of the most horrific blood sports from prohibition.

Under the Bill, hare coursing and fox hunting will be allowed to continue, despite clear and overwhelming evidence of the extreme and unnecessary cruelty involved in both practices. Video footage obtained both by opponents of these practices — and their supporters — prove that the animals targeted suffer dreadfully.

Foxes are not only hounded to exhaustion for the dogs to tear apart. The ones that “escape” underground are often dug out with the aid of spades and terriers and meet an even grizzlier fate than the ones eviscerated by the pack.