Mr B Caffarey
Secretary to the Committee
Committee of Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs
PO Box 31010
London
SW1 H 9ZL

21 February 2000

Dear Mr Caffarey,

I refer to your invitation to submit written evidence to the Committee of Inquiry. The Association is the principal representative body for the veterinary profession; it has a membership of approximately 10,000, which includes most of the practising veterinary surgeons in the UK. In response to the brief from the Committee, this statement does not consider whether hunting should be banned; neither does it consider the ethical issues.

I understand that the British Equine Veterinary Association, one of this Association's Divisions, has been approached independently and will be providing you with written evidence. These comments relate solely to greyhounds and coursing, being derived from practitioners with great experience in this area of work.

There are 100 days a year on which organised coursing (under the rules of the National Coursing Club) takes place. Last year 740 greyhounds took part.

There is not much evidence about the effect of coursing to the rural economy. A coursing greyhound costs £750 a year to maintain. This figure excludes the costs of rearing puppies.

It is possible that lure racing (which involves 2 greyhounds competing behind an artificial hare) might prove attractive to the public at country fairs etc.

The alternatives to coursing are trapping, shooting and poisoning. There is a danger to other animals if poison is used, particularly bearing in mind the large area a hare may visit over a day.

Approximately 1 in 8 hares are killed in the coursing field. It is felt that suffering might be experienced by up to 10% of those killed. Veterinary experience is that injuries sustained by dogs may be severe and probably more frequent than in track dogs.

The Committee is referred to the 1976 House of Lords report. Veterinary experience is that coursing is run under strict rules. It is felt that attempting to ban the practice of poaching with greyhounds and lurchers would be difficult to sustain, although such animals and the quarry are subject to considerably abuse.

I hope this statement is of use to the Committee of Inquiry.

Yours sincerely

Richard Hemmings

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Date uploaded to site 5 May 2000