The brutal practice of hare coursing continues in several English counties, including Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, despite being completely illegal.
Hare coursing involves setting fast dogs, often greyhounds, after wild hares with the aim of catching and killing the hare. The aim is not pest control or even dog exercise – it’s nothing more virtuous than an opportunity for participants to gamble on which dog will get the unfortunate hare first.
Aside from the cruelty, hares are already under threat in Britain, with numbers steadily declining. The last thing they need is to be torn to pieces in the name of betting.
Lincolnshire police force has addressed the problem by introducing a dedicated team to tackle hare coursing, and this appears to have worked. Complaints are down and it seems those determined to kill the threatened animals have moved into neighbouring counties.
It’s time for Norfolk, where hare coursing is commonplace, to follow suit. Norfolk police already have web pages on the issue, but clearly they need to do more.
Ask Norfolk police to take real action to end hare coursing in the county.
We the undersigned are pleased to see that you wish to end hare coursing in Norfolk. However, it seems that the practice is continuing unabated despite your making it easy for people to report incidents. It looks like more action is urgently required. Lincolnshire constabulary appear to have hit on a solution by introducing a dedicated team to tackle the problem.
Hare coursing is so cruel, such a serious conservation problem and so commonplace in Norfolk that we feel you would be more than justified in dedicating resources to tackling the issue. Such a move would also receive public support – it is extremely embarrassing for us that Norfolk has a problem with this archaic and brutal practice.
Since hare coursing doesn’t fully begin until the early autumn, you have plenty of time to get organised and conduct any necessary training.
Please follow Lincolnshire’s example and demonstrate that you are committed to ending hare coursing once and for all.
