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Rabbits in Paradise?
April, 2006
At first glance “Happy Glade” looks as though it
were plucked from an European landscape painting. Tall trees sway in a lush
green meadow; graying outbuildings are in the process of gently returning to the
earth, a pond mirrors blue sky and soft clouds. What could be a more perfect
home for that darling little domestic rabbit that you cannot find a good home?
If you were a rabbit, isn’t this exactly where you would like to live? You won’t
have to worry that your rabbit will be alone; other owners have thought the same
thing as you and brought their rabbits to paradise.
Your rabbit found a burrow beneath a shed with a
colony of domestic rabbits and soon it will have a family and in a few months
those babies will have a family. There will be generation after generation of
rabbits.
Look closer, look down at the base of those
lofty trees, there are owl pellets. Follow the fence line do you see the coyote
scat? Did you notice the tracks in the snow of deep winter; are they from a
cougar or a bobcat? Do you see the hawks swooping or the two eagles wheeling
above?
Look towards the road, do you see two large dogs
off leash running through the field? Now peek in the inside the shed, do you see
the broken beer bottles? Look behind the shed, do you see the fire pit? Others
have found this to be a paradise as well: a perfect place to drink, take drugs
and chase rabbits. What sport!
When winter came snow made an impenetrable
blanket covering the grass, the pond was frozen and the rabbits had to travel
farther from their burrows to find open water. A kind woman saw the rabbits’
plight; she brought food. This nourishment made it possible for the rabbits to
have even more young; supplying wildlife with an endless supply of
non-indigenous food.
Eventually this kind woman encountered some
people who too, could not ignore the sad existence of these domestic rabbits
barely surviving in the wild. These people were determined to rescue them and
contacted Carmina Gooch with Animal Advocates Society of North Vancouver who
offered advice, people to contact and support. Eleven rabbits have been rescued
to date. Six wary rabbits remain, including a mother and baby. Every day,
efforts are made to bring home the rest as bush-party season is gaining
momentum.
Animal Advocates is providing $750.00 to spay or
neuter many of the rabbits. Winfield Veterinarian Susan Wales generously gave
Animal Advocates a very affordable rate.
This story is true, however, the place is not
actually not called “Happy Glade”. The rabbits were left on private land at the
outskirts of this community and until all the rabbits are rescued we must not
reveal their location in “paradise”.
Katy Pace, North Okanagan Rabbit Rescue
The Morning Star
Sunday, June 20, 2004
Bunnies abound neighbourhood
By Cara MacDonald Morning Star Staff
They're multiplying like rabbits
and one Vernon neighbourhood is worried about what to do with its bounty of
bunnies. People living near W.L. Seaton
Secondary School first noticed there were a lot of domestic rabbits that had
gone wild about a year and a half ago.
"Now we have four does who are
having babies. They had their first batch and some are ready to have
another litter this year," said Maurie Deaton, who lives in the area.
"Some people fed them over the
winter and we don't mind having them around but we've reached maximum
capacity. The rabbits are eating everyone's gardens. The cats and dogs
chase them and some of the kids catch them and torture them."
Rabbits mature in three months
and can have litters every 28 days.
Deaton and some of the
neighbourhood children have been catching the bunnies with a fishing net and
keeping them safe in cages while they try to find homes for them.
She found that the SPCA won't
take rabbits and the municipal government has no provisions for trapping and
relocating rabbits as it does for other nuisance animals.
People who keep them as pets
usually have them neutered and they can be trained to use a litter box
inside. "Some irresponsible pet owners
have been letting them go and it's not fair because they aren't going to
survive and the ones that do will just keep spreading and not be safe
because they don't have a lot of defenses," said Deaton.
"We hope we can get people to
take them as inside or outside pets or maybe have some go to petting zoos.
We have all colours and they are nice quiet animals that do have their own
personalities."
Comment:
Unwanted pet rabbits are dumped in municipalities all over B.C. and beyond.
The BC SPCA has provided no leadership with regard to the welfare of these
animals, and municipal governments have not implemented bylaws prohibiting
the sale or adoption of unaltered bunnies. The provincial government
considers them as wildlife. Meanwhile, colonies are expanding, and pets
stores, 4-H Clubs and backyard breeders see dollar signs, as irresponsible
people keep buying. These are lives--not toys--and not disposable
commodities!
It's caring individuals and
rescue groups who are taking it upon themselves to help rabbits like these
ones. We are working together, and committed to making a difference in the
lives of these little critters. As well as providing a home for many
unwanted and abandoned rabbits, my husband and myself provide financial aid
to groups like Vernon Rabbit Rescue, The Responsible Animal Care Society,
the House Rabbit Society, and other individuals or sanctuaries needing
assistance with medical bills and sterilization of domestic house rabbits.
Good, permanent homes are hard to come by, so please foster or adopt from
your local humane society or rescue society. It cannot be stressed enough
that each of us can make a difference in our community, the world. Let's
create a better place for rabbits, and for all creatures on this planet.
Actions speak volumes ---demonstrate your solidarity with animals.
Carmina Gooch
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