Richmond rabbit rescue runs agro

Rabbit Advocacy Animal Matters

Richmond rabbit rescue runs aground on shoal of ‘red tape’

Efforts to transfer them to Washington fail, adoptions deemed inappropriate

August 3, 2013 Jessica Barrett - Vancouver Sun

A local rescue organization says its efforts to help a colony of feral rabbits live hoppily ever after have been handcuffed by government red tape. Fifty of the furry creatures have been stranded in a spare garage at the Richmond Auto Mall, while officials with the province’s fish and wildlife branch determine whether they can issue permits for their transfer to safe harbour in B.C.

Meanwhile, 15 rabbits that remained in the wild have bred like, well, rabbits and have now become another colony of 50, said Sorelle Saidman of Rabbitats Rabbit Rescue.

Her group trapped the first 50 rabbits, the maximum allowed under provincial law, around the Auto Mall in January and February and secured a permit to transfer them to a rabbit sanctuary in Washington state.

When it became apparent some of the animals weren’t healthy enough to make the journey, Rabbitats found local homes willing to adopt them, mostly hobby farms and acreages offering to take small colonies. This caused internal debate at the government branch as to whether adoptive homes break its policies.

The province said it would no longer allow rabbits to be housed in sanctuaries in B.C. after 500 rabbits rescued from the University of Victoria wound up at an animal sanctuary in Coombs a few years ago. At issue in the case of the Richmond rabbits is whether hobby farms constitute adoptive homes, which are allowed, or sanctuaries, which are not.

“All we need is five homes taking 10 rabbits and all of the rabbits would be housed,” said an exasperated Saidman. “We thought this would be really easy, but no. They will not allow sanctuaries in B.C. and they haven’t figured out internally their definition of sanctuary.”

While the province haggled over definitions, Rabbitats’ permit to transfer the rabbits to the U.S. expired, and officials now appear unsure of how to issue another one, Saidman said. “It should be easy. This is just paperwork,” she said, noting the government has clear policies allowing people to trap and kill rabbits, but appears mired in bureaucracy when it comes to helping them survive.

However, Brennan Clarke, spokesman for the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, said the terms of the original permit stated that the rabbits would be moved to a sanctuary in Washington state. “Staff have been working with them to complete the conditions of the original permit agreed to, after which future options may be explored.”

Clarke said that characterizing the failure of the applicant to fulfil the agreed conditions of the permit as government red tape is a “deep misrepresentation of ministry staff’s efforts on this issue.”

Referring to the prospect of adopting the rabbits out to private homes, Clarke noted that the feral European rabbit is non-native, known to destroy property (including agricultural crops) and detrimental to native wildlife and their habitats. “For these reasons, the province’s wildlife experts recommend the options of either: 1) sterilization and relocation to a secure facility out of province, or 2) humane euthanization.”

He said the province supports local government initiatives to pass bylaws limiting the sale of rabbits in their communities, and does not support the release of any feral European rabbits into the wild, public parks or wildlife management areas as they compete for food and habitat with native species.

“The province reminds the public that the feral European rabbit is listed under the Wildlife Act for good reason: it is a non-native species, which requires certain management actions.”

Meanwhile, the remaining rabbits on the Auto Mall grounds are procreating at an exponential pace. Rabbits become sexually mature in just four months, Saidman said, and can have litters as frequently as every 31 days. With August statistically the month with the highest rate of pregnancy for rabbits, a population boom may well be on the way.

Saidman said the lag time caused by the government has eaten up a window when the population was relatively low due to a wet spring in 2012.

Gail Terry, manager of the Richmond Auto Mall Association, said she’s frustrated the government is standing in the way of community efforts to “do what we feel is the right thing.” Many volunteers have raised funds and fed the trapped bunnies, which have been spayed and neutered and are well cared for, but time is running out to get them to their new homes. The Auto Mall has budgeted $60,000 to care for the rabbits, she said.

August 5, 2013 Rabbit Advocacy has been contacting the BC government on rabbit issues, including the designation of the European rabbit (domestic) as wildlife under Class C regulations of the Wildlife Act for many years. We again contacted Steve Thomson, FLNRO, regarding its position on abandoned rabbits, updated our MLA, Jane Thornthwaite, and recently met with Mary Polak, Minister of the Environment.

We are united with other rabbit rescue and advocacy groups and individuals in speaking out and taking action on behalf or rabbits.

Modifying the regulations of the Wildlife Act is one small piece of a much larger issue. Citizens have always picked up abandoned rabbits and brought them to safety, regardless of government rules, and always will. One can say that it’s our moral duty to do so.