Stop the 'absolute cruelty" of hunts

Dear Sir - The attack on a cat by a pack of hunting hounds in Moynalty (Meath Chronicle, 25th February) is yet another reminder that hunters pose a deadly threat not only to wildlife but also to pets. The brutal killing of poor, defenceless Hoppy is just the latest in a growing list of fatalities caused during hunts. This time last month, hounds ran up a private driveway in Wexford, pinned a cat against a garage door and massacred it. The distressed homeowner described it as 'absolute cruelty' and has since banned the hunt from her land. Previously in Limerick, locals looked on in horror as a harrier hound savaged a neighbourhood cat to death. In Northern Ireland, an eight-year-old girl was left distraught after hounds piled into a back garden during a hunt and ripped her beloved cat apart. A local paper reported that a group of youngsters 'saw the dogs in a complete frenzy and heard the squeals of the cat as she was attacked'. Whether it is to help protect wildlife, livestock, pets or children, we call on Meath Chronicle readers to join our appeal to the office of Agriculture Minister, Brendan Smith (01-6072000), Email: dymphna.keogh@agriculture.gov.ie) to ensure that the forthcoming Animal Health and Welfare Bill makes it an offence to use packs of hounds to terrorise, chase and kill. Yours, Philip Kiernan, Irish Council Against Blood Sports, Mullingar, Co Westmeath.