The cruel “sport” of hare coursing, illegal in the UK and the target of an ongoing anti-cruelty campaign in Ireland, has been dealt a further blow...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major international producer of charm bracelets and key-rings has yielded to pressure from animal protection groups and withdrawn a series of trinkets bearing the message or motto “I Love Hare Coursing” from sale on Amazon.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 We attach a picture of one of the withdrawn items.

We believe the main target of the promotion, however, was the UK and Ireland 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.

Police across Britain are on the alert for illegal hare coursing, which is rampant in some rural districts, and the pro-blood sports “Countryside Alliance” organization favours the lifting of the ban on the practise.

Our group, the Ireland-based 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by many other groups across Europe, as well as members of the public in EU countries, Sven Licht Manufactory has now withdrawn the pro hare coursing accessories from sale, as you will see if you try to elicit information on the items on Amazon.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.

Following is a link to page on Mitra World Media referring to “I Love Hare Coursing” accessories:

 http://worldmedia.mitrasites.com/hare-coursing.html

Here is a brief video showing hare coursing in Ireland:
Irish Council Against Blood Sports Hare Coursing campaign video
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D58qbzC-GI4&feature=player_embedded