Ban sale of rabbits

Rabbit Advocacy Animal Matters

Ban sale of rabbits

January 4, 2012 Coquitlam Now (letter)

Animal welfare is an issue that affects all of us, and as PoCo Coun. Brad West has recently expressed, there are many concerns over the sales of animals in pet stores. While specifically referencing puppies, I would like to say that the sale of rabbits is equally as important.

The Rabbit Advocacy Group of BC supports a bylaw that would ban the sale of rabbits in pet stores and other public venues. Baby bunnies are raised in deplorable conditions, just like those of other mill-bred animals. They are an impulse buy, and marketed as starter pets for young children. Such buys contribute to animal neglect and abandonment.

The great majority of consumers are misinformed and unprepared for the responsibilities of a 10-year commitment. Pet stores are in the business of exploiting animals for profit. They do not represent the animals' interests. Most rabbits are discarded into communities, unsterilized, within months of purchase. Not only is this cruel and illegal, it comes at great cost, both ethically and financially, to municipalities. By banning the sales of rabbits, not only will you protect the animal, you will protect the consumer, the environment and the community as a whole.

Communities such as Richmond, Delta, Vancouver, Nanaimo and Victoria have large numbers of abandoned rabbits. The University of Victoria, like Kelowna, watched as populations grew. The gestation period for a rabbit is about 30 days. Predictably, reactionary measures have been costly and ongoing. Societal attitudes overwhelmingly oppose ineffective lethal control methods, preferring humane and proactive alternatives instead.

While Port Coquitlam may be relatively free of roaming rabbits for now, Colony Farm Regional Park and the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital grounds have small fluctuating populations that have been around for years. I and others in this field take calls on a regular basis from citizens throughout the Lower Mainland wishing to surrender their bunny or else reporting the sudden appearance of cast-off rabbits in their neighbourhoods. Residents have spotted rabbits on golf courses, in parks, and in several instances, "owners" have left them caged roadside as they move on.

Animal shelters, private rescues and pounds are at overcapacity with unwanted adult rabbits. Others are routinely advertised on forums like Craigslist or else brought to auction. There are more than enough unwanted pets in need of homes while others are destroyed simply because of lack of good homes.

If PoCo wants to avoid occurrences and costs like those in other jurisdictions, humane and forward-thinking measures like banning the sale of intact rabbits will definitely reduce the risks and costs, financial and otherwise, associated with pet dumping.

Richmond, Kelowna, New Westminster, Coquitlam, Victoria, Saanich, the District of North Vancouver, the District of West Vancouver and the City of North Vancouver have banned the sale of intact rabbits in pet stores or the sale of rabbits altogether. Other municipalities, like Burnaby, are considering similar bylaws.

I strongly urge you to demonstrate the hallmarks of progressive, compassionate and fiscally responsible governance by implementing new legislation that would prohibit the sale of rabbits. Combined strategies, like education and breeding regulations, along with thoughtful leadership, will yield lasting and positive outcomes for the rabbits and the overall community.

I have hand-delivered 60 signed postcards to City Hall to further illustrate broad-based support for such an initiative. Additional information can be found on our website: http: //rabbitadvocacy. com/pet_stores_rabbits.htm.

Carmina Gooch Rabbit Advocacy Group of BC

Note: The letter was delivered to Coquitlam City Hall on October 27, 2011. Similar letters were sent to several other municipalities, including the City of Burnaby, around the same time. Both Burnaby and Coquitlam have advised that their Animal Control Bylaws will be updated in 2012.

Rabbits, like all animals in society, need our protection. It is incumbent upon our officials to enact ethical policies and legislation that include all beings. The consequences of not considering animal welfare a priority issue are apparent. www.rabbitadvocacy.com

B.C. municipalities demand controls on rabbits

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