May 1st 2012
...Press Release...
Symbolic victory for anti-blood sports campaign as “I Love Hare Coursing” accessories destined for Ireland and the UK withdrawn from sale.
The so-called “sport” of live hare coursing has been shamed yet again. As Dail Deputies Clare Daly and Maureen O’ Sullivan prepare to move a Bill to ban the activity in Ireland, a major international producer of charm bracelets and key-rings has yielded to pressure from animal protection groups and withdrawn a series of trinkets bearing the message or motto “I Love Hare Coursing” from sale on Amazon.
The motto hailing the blood sport had been prominently depicted on key-rings, beads, cufflinks, bracelets, “foto-charms” and necklaces that were advertised and promoted by Sven Licht Manufactory of Berlin, Germany, on Amazon as being available worldwide.
We believe the main target of the promotion, however, was Ireland and the UK as the hare coursing motto would mean nothing to most people in mainland Europe. Hare coursing is still legal in the Republic of Ireland, and though banned in Northern Ireland and Britain there are diehard elements in the UK who continue to hold illegal coursing events.
The Campaign for the Abolition of Cruel Sports contacted animal protection organisations in Germany regarding the issue, asking for help in persuading Sven Licht Manufactory to cease promoting hare coursing.
Following a three-week long campaign instigated by the Berlin-based EcoTerra International organisation and involving lobbying by many other groups across Europe, as well as members of the public in EU countries, Sven Licht Manufactory has now withdrawn the pro hare coursing accessories from sale, as you will see if you try to elicit information on the items on Amazon.
References to them (see link to Mitra World Media below) still show up in internet searches, but all pages displaying them have been removed from Amazon. We understand that Sven Licht Manufactory was inundated with phone-calls and emails objecting to the pro-hare coursing trinkets.
The Campaign for the Abolition of Cruel Sports regards the success of the campaign and the withdrawal of the items as a sharp reminder of the fact that hare coursing projects a negative image of Ireland and is detested worldwide as a deliberately cruel blood sport.
Link to page on Mitra World Media referring to “I Love Hare Coursing” accessories:
http://worldmedia.mitrasites.com/hare-coursing.html
Here are two brief videos showing hare coursing in Ireland:
1) Irish Council Against Blood Sports Hare Coursing campaign video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D58qbzC-GI4&feature=player_embedded
2) Film footage of the “Irish Cup” hare coursing event, held in late February 2012 at Limerick racecourse:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL741E0B6DA3CBB057
Thanking you,
John Fitzgerald,
PRO,
Campaign for the Abolition
Of Cruel Sports
