“This blood sport is at odds with the warmth and goodwill that people around the world know and love Ireland for."
Pamela Anderson has written a letter to Taoiseach Micheál Martin asking him to ban hare coursing in Ireland.
Hare coursing usually happens at greyhound tracks when the dogs chase after a hare while racing. The Baywatch actress wants our government to think seriously about banning the activity, saying it's "cruel and reckless."
Anderson has been an advocate for animal rights around the world for many years now and is the honorary US director of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).
Anderson wants to see coursing banned in this country the same way it has been banned in the UK and Northern Ireland.
In her letter to the Taoiseach, she says: “As a long time animal rights advocate, I’ve celebrated alongside my friends at Peta after writing to your predecessors and hearing that Ireland had banned wild-animal circuses and would be moving toward ending fur farming. But there’s still more to be done.
She gets straight to the point and asks: "Will you please be the Taoiseach who finally lays cruel hare coursing to rest?"
Anderson goes on to say: "Hare coursing is reckless — and it’s cruel. Many hares die when they are captured, transported, and held captive before meets. Some endure stress-induced heart attacks or other organ damage, or they collapse and die of sheer exhaustion while desperately fleeing from the dogs."
The Canadian-born actress has reached out to our Taoiseachs before, once asking Enda Kenny to ban wild animal circuses. She also contacted Leo Varadkar about banning fur farming in Ireland.
“This blood sport is at odds with the warmth and goodwill that people around the world know and love Ireland for," she said.
"The practice is currently banned because of lockdown restrictions, and you can help ensure that it’s not allowed to resume. It’s time — past time — that Ireland consigned hare coursing to the history books, where it belongs.”
Martin has yet to respond to the letter.
