Irish Coursing Club reeling as major company pulls ad from its website

New South Wales-based company, Hidez, withdrew its advert when told about the suffering, injury and death caused to hares used in the bloodsport.

The ad for Hidez greyhound compression suits stated: "Give your dog an edge this coursing season. The Hidez compression suit...be better prepared for the next course."

In an appeal to the company, ICABS wrote


"It is surprising that Hidez would allow its products to be associated with a bloodsport which is illegal in Australia and which a majority here in Ireland want outlawed (it is already illegal in all our neighbouring jurisdictions - Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales). In Ireland's cruel coursing, thousands of hares are violently netted from the wild and used as live bait for greyhounds to chase."

Video footage from a recent coursing meeting in Edenderry showing hares being hit by greyhounds and sent tumbling -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7njqNGKyiI - was also brought to the attention of the company.

We pointed out that all the hares used in coursing suffer the fear and stress of running for their lives and that every coursing season, injuries and deaths are documented.

Responding, Hidez Managing Director Elwyn McCabe emphasised that the decision to advertise on the Irish Coursing Club website was "taken not as a show of support for coursing nor the work of the Irish Coursing Club" but to expose its product to greyhound owners and trainers.

"We fully respect and understand why some view hare coursing as unacceptable," Mr McCabe added. "We have therefore instructed that the advertisement is removed from the ICC website."

ICABS stated: "The removal of this ad represents another major blow to coursing and once again demonstrates that sponsors and advertisers want to have nothing whatsoever to do with the cruel activity. The Irish Council Against Blood Sports has thanked Hidez for acting swiftly to become the latest in a long line of companies to disassociate from hare coursing.

"We are continuing to lobby Arts and Heritage Minister, Heather Humphreys, to withdraw the coursing licence she issued and give permanent protection to the persecuted Irish Hare. We have brought to her attention video footage filmed last week -  https://youtu.be/md0Yf7M7ATk - showing dozens of agitated hares trapped in a coursing enclosure in Balbriggan. They were forcefully netted from the wild for use as live bait for greyhounds to chase at an upcoming coursing meeting."