Peaceful Protest outside Dail re Animal Welfare Bill

international | animal rights | press release

Thursday October 11, 2012 19:12

by End Animal Cruelty posing as "sport"

A peaceful protest by an alliance of animal protection and anti-bloodsports groups will be staged outside the Dail on October 18th calling on Government to remove exemptions for hunts and coursing in new Animal Welfare Act and to honour its pledge to ban cruel fox "dig-outs"...

Date: Thursday October 18th.
Venue: Dail Eireann, Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Time: 12.30 to 2 PM.

The aftermath of a "dig-out"...both fox and dog are victims of the cruelty

Next Thursday a number of animal action groups will mount a peaceful protest outside Dail Eireann to relay our plea to the government:

"No More Dig-Outs for Animal Cruelty"!

With Ireland’s animal welfare laws being updated, it's essential that the government honour its promise to ban the extremely cruel practice of digging out foxes that escape underground to escape the hounds during hunting. A Dail Committee is considering various proposed amendments to the Animal Health and Welfare Bill. All animal protection groups and SPCAs are united in calling for the abolition of cruel animal-baiting practises via the Bill. Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has already said he finds the "dig-out" practice unacceptable but we are anxious that the government now matches its words with action.

Foxhunting itself is bad enough, with the animals being hounded for hours until exhaustion delivers them to the hounds to be killed in a frenzy of biting and savagery, but the practise known as the “dig-out” is the by far the worst part of it.

It involves hunters using terriers and spades to “dig out” foxes that escape underground during a hunt. The spade men dig deep into the earth and drop a terrier down to attack the fox. The fox and dog savage each other, with the fox usually coming off worse, though the terrier also suffers horrific injuries. The terrier is then pulled back up, usually with its teeth sunk into the still live fox. The fox is then thrown to the pack of hounds.

Have a look at the pictures: How can any humane person condone such cruelty dressed up as “sport”?

We are calling for a ban on fox "dig-outs", and no exemptions in the new law for hare coursing or foxhunting. Everyone welcome at protest!

For anyone unfamiliar with the dig-out, Here is a brief video clip:

www.dailymotion.com/video/xnmvhc_fox-hunting-blood-sports-in-ireland_animals

And here is a series of slides exposing what happens during a dig-out:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8hnku_stop-digging-ou...imals