Need to replace live hare baiting with DRAG COURSING

fairplay

Don't you guys think it's about time that live coursing, in which captive are used as live bait for greyhounds, was replaced by the humane and exciting alternative of Drag Coursing, in which a mechanical lure is used?

The advantages?

1) A switch to drag would eliminate once and for all the damning specte of cruelty that hangs like an ugly black cloud over the present form of coursing in Ireland. There would be no more of those sick scenes of barbaric savagery that give perverted pleasure to a minority of greyhound fans

2) The muzzling of greyhounds, introduced in 1993 in a botched effort to combat cruelty in coursing, could end immediately. There would no longer be any need for muzzles as the terrified creatures formerly abused in your sport would no longer be in the equation. There would n longer be a need to take these animals from their natural environment to be baited in the wire enclosed fields of terror.

3) Wildlife Rangers would no longer be obliged to attend metings and keep an eye on the behaviour of coursing clubs...the removal of the live bait factor would also remove those prying eyes from coursing events. You could relax..no looking over your shoulders to see if a ranger or an anti is taking notes or setting you up for a fall. Look at what happened to the WU club!

4) All opposition on ethical grounds to coursing would cease once drag coursing came on stream.

5) A huge upsurge in commercial sponsorship would accompany a switch to drag...firms, bulding societies and banks etc that right now wouldn't touch coursing with a forty foot pole could freely offer their much needed support.

Thee are just a few of the advantages of replacing live coursing with drag coursing...so how about it?

You have a choice...allow coursing to die a slow death..or be banned on either cruelty or conservations grounds...or kick the cruelty habit NOW. Accept a viable alternative that will restore pride and credibility to the greyhound industry.

FROM: A keen observer of the greyhound scene and friend of Ireland's wildlife.

bushy...

Even better , someone already came up with that , its indoors-ish & you can get beer and food there : http://www.igb.ie/stadia/gly.aspx?section=2

roccabella

I for one would be very disappointed to see coursing replaced by drag coursing. It is a very old sport based mainly in the rural areas of Ireland. It involves 2 greyhounds at a time, racing against each other giving it everything and a hare an amazing animal with its speed and ability to turn and twist from the hounds.

Fairplay, you referred to sick scenes of barbaric savery that give perverted pleasure to a minority of greyhound fans. I disagree. At coursings the enjoyment of the sport is seeing the 2 greyhounds race against each other, often in very exciting buckles. Their stamina and speed showing. In order to win a trial stake or cup they will have to win 4-5 courses over 2 days. There is no pleasure in seeing a hare being caught, a scene which is very rare now. Attended Freshford meeting over the weekend and not a hare was killed. So far this season I haven't seen a hare killed. The crowd cheer when a hare turns and twists and escapes from the greyhounds which are muzzled.

The hares are caught in the weeks leading up to a coursing in the surrounding area of the club. From the time when a hare is caught to when it is released the hare is treated with care. Healthy strong hares are needed for a coursing meeting, if the hares are weak/ sick there will be no meeting. Hares are wormed and fed well, they are usually kept in large enclosures where they can graze the grass freely and eat the feed left for them. The week before the meeting the hares are trained to run up the coursing field, so that they know to run straight up the field and know where the escape is. The escape is where the hare runs after each course and the dogs are unable to fit through. On the day of the meeting each hare will run once each day, weak hares will not run, hares that do not run straight up the field but waver about will not have greyhounds slipped/ let go behind them. Each hare is given about 150- 200yards of an advantage before the dogs. The winning dog is the dog that is the first up where the hare is turned or if the hare gets a straight run to the escape its the dog 1st up. After a coursing meeting, the hares are released.

The wildlife rangers do a great job, coursing clubs know the standards and do not mind people looking over their shoulders. Good meetings are where the club and the rangers work together.
The introduction of muzzles 14 years ago has been a great success, greatly eliminating the kill from the sport, something which coursing people are glad of.

Agent Smith

fairplay wrote: »

1) A switch to drag would eliminate once and for all the damning specte of cruelty that hangs like an ugly black cloud over the present form of coursing in Ireland. There would be no more of those sick scenes of barbaric savagery that give perverted pleasure to a minority of greyhound fans

2) The muzzling of greyhounds, introduced in 1993 in a botched effort to combat cruelty in coursing, could end immediately. There would no longer be any need for muzzles as the terrified creatures formerly abused in your sport would no longer be in the equation. There would n longer be a need to take these animals from their natural environment to be baited in the wire enclosed fields of terror.

3) Wildlife Rangers would no longer be obliged to attend metings and keep an eye on the behaviour of coursing clubs...the removal of the live bait factor would also remove those prying eyes from coursing events. You could relax..no looking over your shoulders to see if a ranger or an anti is taking notes or setting you up for a fall. Look at what happened to the WU club!

4) All opposition on ethical grounds to coursing would cease once drag coursing came on stream.

5) A huge upsurge in commercial sponsorship would accompany a switch to drag...firms, bulding societies and banks etc that right now wouldn't touch coursing with a forty foot pole could freely offer their much needed support.

Thee are just a few of the advantages of replacing live coursing with drag coursing...so how about it?

You have a choice...allow coursing to die a slow death..or be banned on either cruelty or conservations grounds...or kick the cruelty habit NOW. Accept a viable alternative that will restore pride and credibility to the greyhound industry.

FROM: A keen observer of the greyhound scene and friend of Ireland's wildlife.

I would Personally think that it would be a step Backwards to take Mussells Of greyhounds, They are still animals at the end of the day, Friend of mine was attached by a dog in her home, a family pet,which bit her in the face and Now has Slight scaring Since the Attack.

Is Coursing Cruel? Thats a Question that will deeply devide people, Any Coursing meeting that i have been at, There has never been a single hare used that wasnt strong to run the Distance. Last year at the Irish cup, at least a dozen hares were given full slips ( they are released, and no dogs chased after them) because the Course Vet deemed them not fit enough to be chased.

OP. just wondering, Do you know the rules of coursing?

fits

agent smith wrote: »

I would Personally think that it would be a step Backwards to take Mussells Of greyhounds, They are still animals at the end of the day, Friend of mine was attached by a dog in her home, a family pet,which bit her in the face and Now has Slight scaring Since the Attack.

Oh my god... I cannot believe you are the moderator of this forum with an attitude like that.

You obviously know nothing about greyhounds.

They are absolutely the best, most gentle dogs ever. I have two lurchers as pets.

I suggest you get to know some greyhounds before making any more comments like that.

If your friend was attacked by her dog it is likely that a) she missed a lot of warning signs, and that the dog didnt know its place in the home, or b) the dog has some underlying pain issues that caused it to react so viciously out of the blue.

'its an animal after all' doesnt cut it as an excuse. There is *always* a reason.

btw I am not anti greyhound racing or coursing... but I am anti-ignorance.

fairplay

Not very convincing argument against drag coursing. There is no excuse whatsoever for the practise of setting up hares as live bait in a stupid game of chance.

The fact that a human alternative exists takes away any pretext the coursing clubs can come up with for continuing to abuse Ireland's hare population.

Spare me that stuff about looking after the hares so well. The animals are snatched from the countryside, held in cramped rotten unnatural compounds, before being baited for the amusement of gamblers and thrill-seekers.

Animal lovers and everyone else can attend drag coursing...and the commercial sponsors who wouldn't touch the vile practise of live coursing will happily support the drag alternative. The hares will be happy, the greyhounds can still run in pursuit of bait...an artificial one...and the fans, if they genuinely only want to see greyhounds compete as distinct from wanting to see hares being terrorised, will be happy too with this change for the better.

Agent Smith

fits wrote: »

Oh my god... I cannot believe you are the moderator of this forum with an attitude like that.

You obviously know nothing about greyhounds.

They are absolutely the best, most gentle dogs ever. I have two lurchers as pets.

I suggest you get to know some greyhounds before making any more comments like that.

btw I am not anti greyhound racing or coursing... but I am anti-ignorance.

Lets Get some things Straight...

1. my family have had multiple Irish Derby winners.
2. as gentle as they are, they are still dogs
3. I personally own Greyhounds

when you have seen the results of a dog attack on a loved one, come back here.

joe

fits

agent smith wrote: »

Lets Get some things Straight...

1. my family have had multiple Irish Derby winners.
2. as gentle as they are, they are still dogs
3. I personally own Greyhounds

when you have seen the results of a dog attack on a loved one, come back here.

joe

Do you really think greyhounds are vicious and savage.... I'm not saying untrustworthy, because no animal is completely trustworthy... but are you saying that greyhounds are unsuitable as pets? And if greyhounds are muzzled, do you think all dogs should be?

I'm struggling to see why you think taking muzzles off is a 'backward step' (I'm not referring to the hares here, but the inference that they could attack)

Agent Smith

Greyhounds Do make Great pets, I'd strongly recomend them! there are Plenty of Ex racing dogs Up for adoption, What i mean is when they are chasing the Hare, I think It would be a backward step. The dogs are think the're hunting the Hare,and Could, in turn, Attack each other.

fits

agent smith wrote: »

Greyhounds Do make Great pets, I'd strongly recomend them! there are Plenty of Ex racing dogs Up for adoption, What i mean is when they are chasing the Hare, I think It would be a backward step. The dogs are think the're hunting the Hare,and Could, in turn, Attack each other.

I can see that point but fail to understand how it is related to your friend who was attacked....

(was she attacked by a greyhound, or some other breed btw?)

Agent Smith

other Breed of dog, however i have seen the Result of a Greyhound who Did bite the hand that fed her.

fits

I still dont see how this relates to muzzling of coursing greyhounds.

Also... I can almost guarantee 100% that my dogs would never bite me... unless in pain, or in a fight....
I think I'd have to be missing some pretty drastic signs that they would feel the need to respond at that level.

Agent Smith

see, the key word is almost,


attacking the other dog can be an issue aswell!