The Irish Council Against Blood Sports is calling on the National Parks and Wildlife Service's Species Protection Unit to explain why it recommended that a coursing licence be granted for another season of hare coursing. "Given that coursing results in stress, injury and death to hares, we wish to know how your unit's recommendation fits in with its 'species protection' role," ICABS stated.

The details of the Species Protection Unit's recommendation are contained in a document recently obtained by ICABS following a Freedom of Information request.

A letter signed the unit's Assistant Director, Gerry Leckey, states that: "It is recommended that licences issue to the Irish Coursing Club under the Wildlife Acts to mark hares, capture hares and undertake coursing outside the Open Season Order on 1 March 2010. The licence will cover all clubs affiliated to the Irish Coursing Club."

Referring to a request by the Irish Coursing Club for an extension to the licence, the document states that "We have facilitated the Irish Coursing Club in the past and it is recommended that the ICC be granted this extension."

The extension, which we have learned has been approved by Green Party leader and Environment Minister, John Gormley, is to be granted in the new year and will allow the coursers to extend their blood sport into March 1st 2010.

In a letter to Dr Ciaran O'Keeffe, the director of the NPWS Species Protection Unit, ICABS has enquired about the unit's justification for recommending the issuance of a licence for the 2009-2010 coursing season and a licence to extend the coursing season.

We are continuing to urge Minister John Gormley to revoke the current licence, to cancel the season extension and to put in place permanent protection for the Irish Hare.


A majority of Irish people want the hare to be protected from this disgusting cruelty.

ACTION ALERT

Please join us in asking the NPWS Species Protection Unit to explain why it has recommended the licensing of a blood sport that causes massive interference to the Irish Hare species and which results in stress, injury and death to hares.

Dr Ciaran O'Keeffe
Director, NPWS Species Protection Unit
National Parks & Wildlife Service
7 Ely Place
Dublin 2

Tel: +353-1-8882000
Fax: +353-1-8883272

Email: ciaran.o'keeffe@environ.ie
CC: gerry.leckey@environ.ie,minister@environ.ie

Campaign Videos: Ban Coursing in Ireland


More ICABS Videos

If you are in County Carlow or Kilkenny and would be interested in teaming up with like-minded individuals in the area to raise awareness about blood sports, please get in touch with us now.

Simply email your name and contact details (phone number and/or email address) to info@banbloodsports.com and we will pass them on to other interested individuals.

Proposed peaceful activities include collecting petition signatures, distributing leaflets and political lobbying.

We also invite individuals from all areas of Ireland to get in touch with us if you are interested in becoming an active campaigner at a local level. Thank you.

Please vote YES: Do you think cruel stag hunting should be banned?

Click on this link and press the YES button
http://www.irishtimes.com/polls/

The producers of new Irish comedy series, Val Falvey, have been asked by ICABS to stop trivialising dogfighting. The call comes following the appearance of a dogfighter character in the show's first episode. "Featuring scenes which portray a cruel and illegal activity in a comedy programme is inappropriate and in poor taste," we said in a letter to Grand Pictures.

The scenes in question show the dogfighter character emerging from a farm outbuilding where the barking of dogs can be heard and actors portraying dogfight spectators can be seen cheering. The dogfighter says of his dog - "I think she's a bit hyper, she's after doing two inside there" - to which the other character laughs and replies "Did she?"

In this scene from Grand Picture's Val Falvey show, the dogfighter character looks at his dog who is just after "doing two inside there".

Conveying the appalling reality of dogfighting, ICABS told Grand Pictures about a court case some years ago which resulted in the conviction of dogfighters. The Irish Independent reported at the time that "the two pit bull terriers had lacerations to the face, ear, head, neck and forelimbs...Such was the ferocity of the fight between the dogs that a ladder was needed to separate them..." The evidence was so gruesome and upsetting that the judge excused the jury from service for 10 years.

"Trivialising this disgusting activity and presenting a dogfighting character as a jokey rogue-type is not very humorous to those who are campaigning for dogfighting to be eradicated from Ireland," we added. "Over the years, our organisation and other animal welfare groups have been trying to educate the public about the cruelty of dogfighting and encouraging them to report information to Gardai. Portraying dogfighters as anything but the sadistic, sick individuals that they are is not helpful to our efforts to protect dogs from this blood sport."

You can watch episode 1 of Val Falvey online at
http://www.rte.ie/player/#v=1060707
[To see the "dogfight" scene, skip to the 15:15 mark]

URGENT ACTION ALERT

Please join us in urging Grand Pictures to exclude animal cruelty themes from future episodes.

SAMPLE LETTER
(If you have time, please compose your own personal letter. Otherwise, feel free to send the short sample letter below. Be assertive, but polite, in all correspondence. Thank you.)

Paul Donovan
Producer
Val Falvey
Grand Pictures Ltd
44 Fontenoy Street
Dublin 7
Email: info@grandpictures.ie
Tel: +353 1 860 2290
Fax: +353 1 860 2096

Dear Mr Donovan,

I am writing to express my disappointment that the illegal blood "sport" of dogfighting was trivialised in the first episode of Val Falvey. There is nothing funny about dogfighting - in reality, dogs suffer horrific injuries and the men involved are despicable thugs.

It is regrettable that this cruel activity was portrayed in a light-hearted way and that one of your main characters is shown laughing as the dogfighter character tells of how his dog is "after doing two inside there".

I urge you to exclude animal cruelty themes from future episodes.

Yours sincerely,

[Name / Location]

Irish Council Against Blood Sports

Main website www.banbloodsports.com
Youtube channel www.youtube.com/icabs
Follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/banbloodsports
Bebo page www.bebo.com/banbloodsports
Myspace profile www.myspace.com/banbloodsports
Mobile phone site www.banbloodsports.com/wap

Join our mailing list: Send "Subscribe" to info@banbloodsports.com along with your name and location.
Receive campaign updates to your mobile phone: Text GO to 00353 86 038 6617
(This is a free service but ask your network provider about any charges to receive SMS text messages from Ireland)
Sign our "Ban Blood Sports" petition at www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/784506550
Keep hunters off your land: Click on Farmers at www.banbloodsports.com
Download posters and newsletters: Visit www.scribd.com/banbloodsports

A very big thank you to 123Greetings.com for removing around 20 bullfighting-themed cards. ICABS has thanked the company for dropping the cards which included scenes of a Santa matador taunting a bull, a matador proposing to an injured bull and matadors and bulls on New Year's Eve. Thank you to everyone who supported our action alert.

ICABS has sent a message of thanks to 123 Greetings but if you would like to thank them too, you can send a message from their contact page: http://help.123greetings.com/contact_us.html

About 123Greetings: 123Greetings (Free Greetings for the Planet^TM) is the world's leading online destination for human expressions. It reaches millions of unique users annually and offers over 20,000 greeting cards, covering a mix of 3,000 seasonal & everyday categories. You can visit their website at www.123greetings.com

RENEWED ACTION ALERT:
Tom and Jerry book publisher asked to remove "Bullfighter Tom"

The Irish Council Against Blood Sports has called on the publishers of a Tom and Jerry colouring book to remove an illustration of "Bullfighter Tom". The portrayal of the popular cartoon character as a bullfighter [animal torturer and killer] has been reported to Warner Brothers. Please support our 1 minute action alert now.


ICABS has asked Alligator Books to remove "Bullfighter Tom" from future editions of the Tom and Jerry Jumbo Colouring Book

1 Minute Action Alert

Please send the following message to Alligator Books and Warner Brothers
"Please stop portraying Tom and Jerry's Tom as a bullfighter in the Tom and Jerry Jumbo Colouring Book [Published by Alligator Books]. Trivialising bullfighting in a children's book is distasteful and offensive."

Alligator Books Limited
Attn: Andrew H Rabin
Publishing and Sales Director
Gadd House, Arcadia Avenue
London N3 2JU
Tel: 020 8371 6622
Fax: 020 8371 6633
Email from: www.alligatorbooks.co.uk/?page_id=7

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc
Email Customer Service from: www2.warnerbros.com

Ban digging out and terrierwork

The Irish Council Against Blood Sports is calling on the Minister for Agriculture, Brendan Smith, to outlaw the horrendous practices of digging out and terrierwork. We are urging all TDs and Senators to back a ban on these activities.

Brought to their attention is a new slideshow video of photos from Ireland which show foxes and dogs with horrendous injuries. (Please scroll down to watch video).

Although similar to illegal badger baiting, fox baiting remains legal in this country. It is carried out by what can only be described as thugs and sadists who dig animals out with spades and take pleasure in seeing their dogs inflicting the most savage injuries on them.

Digging out and terrierwork is also an integral part of foxhunting in Ireland. The foxhunters' so-called code of conduct states that "only one terrier at a time may be used to locate the fox except in rocks, stacks of bales or stick piles, etc...Digging shall only be conducted by a small number of experienced people and assistants appointed by the Master or his nominee." It also highlights their desire to keep this appalling act away from the public eye, stressing that "reasonable efforts shall be made to ensure that digging out will not become a public spectacle."

Badger baiting, dog fighting and cock fighting are already illegal in Ireland. The next step must be for the heinous practice of fox digging and baiting to be outlawed.

Campaign Leaflet: Please download and forward

Click here to download the leaflet



Click here to download the leaflet

Video: Digging Out and Terrierwork Cruelty in Ireland



URGENT ACTION ALERT - SAMPLE LETTER

Minister Brendan Smith
Department of Agriculture
Agriculture House,
Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Email: minister@agriculture.gov.ie
CC: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie (Taoiseach, Brian Cowen), dymphna.keogh@agriculture.gov.ie (Minister's Secretary) and AHWBill@agriculture.gov.ie;tsargent@greenparty.ie (Trevor Sargent, TD, Minister of State at the Dept of Agriculture)
Tel: 01-607 2000 or LoCall 1890-200510.
Fax: 01-661 1013.

Dear Minister Smith,

I support the Irish Council Against Blood Sports' call on you to urgently outlaw both digging out and terrierwork. These horrendous acts of cruelty are carried out by sadistic individuals and also by merciless foxhunting groups (when terrified foxes try to find refuge underground). There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for this shameful animal abuse and it must be stopped.

Please make it an offence NOW to dig out any animal or send terriers below ground to catch and attack animals under any circumstances. I also call on you to outlaw the use of packs of hounds to harass, attack, injure and/or kill any animal.

Thank you, Minister. I look forward to your positive response.

[Your Name and Location]

"Fine Gael supports country sports which are carried out humanely, properly supervised and monitored and that do not involve any undue risk to animal welfare. If these criteria can be satisfied Fine Gael does not oppose properly licensed country sports activities."


"Fine Gael will oppose any move by Government to deny groups who have conducted their activities as per their licences, the right to continue to pursue these activities in the future. We believe that imposing a ban on these licensed activities would be a retrograde step both in terms of animal welfare and economically.


He also shamelessly defends cruel blood sports on monetary grounds, saying that "it would be irresponsible to discount the importance of rural pursuits to the economy as a whole."

The Irish Council Against Blood Sports has thanked MySpace for removing an advert for foxhunting in Ireland. The ad invited readers to "experience the thrill of the chase". Responding to our concerns, a MySpace spokesperson said that the company "normally does not allow this type of advertising".

"At this time, we are researching ways to tighten up our advertising demographics in order to make the user experience as enjoyable as possible," the spokesperson added.

ICABS is grateful to MySpace for this positive response.

Our attention now turns to Google, who continue to feature foxhunting in their sponsored adverts. To find out about our current action alert, please see Urgent appeal to Google: "Stop advertising foxhunting"

If you ever see an internet advert for foxhunting or other blood sports, please send us details along with a screen shot. Thank you.


ICABS has thanked MySpace for removing this foxhunting advert

Google has been urged by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports to stop advertising foxhunting in Ireland. The call comes in response to Google ads which encourage readers to "experience the thrill of the chase" and consider a "foxhunting break" in Ireland. A video showing the cruelty of foxhunting has been brought to the attention of the company's Dublin-based European HQ.

Please join our appeal to Google - respond to our action alert now.



ACTION ALERT

Ask Google to stop displaying ads for foxhunting. Use the sample letter below or compose your own original letter. Thank you.

Mr John Herlihy
Vice President, Global Ad Operations
Google Dublin,
Google Ireland Ltd.
Gordon House
Barrow Street, Dublin 4
Email from: http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/request.py?display=form&contact_type=cfeedback
Tel: +353 (1) 436 1000
Fax: +353 (1) 436 1001 / +353 (1) 543-1001

Dear Mr Herlihy,

I am horrified to learn that "Ads by Google" include adverts for the cruel and barbaric activity of foxhunting. ["Fox hunting Ireland - Experience the thrill of the chase", "Fox hunting in Ireland Special offer hunting break", etc]

I call on your company to immediately remove such ads on the grounds that they promote one of Ireland's worst acts of animal cruelty.

In foxhunting across Ireland, foxes are disturbed from their habitats, chased to exhaustion and torn apart by packs of trained hounds. Foxes that manage to escape underground are dug out with spades while terriers are sent down to viciously attack them.

I invite you to view this short Irish Council Against Blood Sports campaign video which shows just some of the suffering involved: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x54eit_ban-foxhunting-in-ireland_animals

I trust that after viewing this, Google will agree that foxhunting is disgusting animal cruelty. I hope, therefore, that you will act now to remove this ad and stop publicising foxhunting.

Thank you

Yours faithfully
[Name/Country]

Video: Ban foxhunting in Ireland



Video: Digging Out and Terrierwork Cruelty in Ireland



Find out about action alerts and campaign updates at www.banbloodsports.com

You can also read Animal Voice on the Irish Council Against Blood Sports' website - www.banbloodsports.com [click on Newsletters]

Animal Voice - October 2009