The Baywatch actress wrote to Micheál Martin urging him to end hare coursing

Pamela Anderson has written to An Taoiseach Micheál Martin urging him to ban hare coursing in Ireland. Hare coursing involves hares being chased by greyhounds in betting races.

Anderson described hare coursing as “cruel and reckless”, she said it was not aligned with the “warmth and goodwill” Ireland is known for.

Greyhound racing was suspended in Ireland for most of this year due to Covid-19. The sport has been banned in Northern Ireland and the UK.

Anderson is the honorary US director of Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). She has previously written to Enda Kenny to ban animal circuses and to Leo Varadkar to ban fur farming in Ireland.

Wild animal circuses have since been banned. The Government are also committed to phasing out fur farming.

In her letter to the current Taoiseach, she wrote:

 “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. Will you please be the Taoiseach who finally lays cruel hare coursing to rest?

“The novel coronavirus has taught us the devastating consequences of messing with wildlife. And your government can heed that lesson by banning this so-called ‘sport’, in which gentle, sensitive hares — wild animals — are torn from their natural homes so that they can be chased by hounds for someone’s twisted idea of amusement.

“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.

“This blood sport is at odds with the warmth and goodwill that people around the world know and love Ireland for. 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.”