Hare Coursing policy

The League Against Cruel Sports opposes hare coursing. Hare coursing is a cruel and barbaric bloodsport, where dogs are encouraged to chase, turn, and catch and kill hares for sport. Hare coursing is often the subject of gambling and sometimes even sponsored by bookmakers.

Hare coursers have admitted that they trap and move hares for coursing in other parts of the country. Hare hunting and coursing continue despite the fact that the British brown hare is on the list of vulnerable and declining species for which a UK Biodiversity Action Plan has been written.

Post-mortems carried out on coursed hares show clear evidence of cruelty. Injuries before death include punctured lungs, broken ribs and internal bleeding. The League believes that the evidence is clear that the welfare of the coursed hare is severely compromised.

While hare coursing is illegal in England, Scotland and Wales, there is no permanent ban in Northern Ireland. In Ireland, hares are netted, boxed, transported to coursing fields, trained and coursed with muzzled greyhounds. Hares can die both from being buffeted by the muzzled dogs and from capture myopathy associated with their experiences of coursing.

The League supports the legislation that bans hare coursing in Britain. It wishes to see this legislation extended to Northern Ireland.