Group in rabbit stew over heritage impact

THE Pittwater Natural Heritage Association is on a mission to ban rabbits being sold as pets.

The group has sent letters to pet shops from Manly to Avalon Beach, asking them to consider not selling rabbits and suggesting guinea pigs as an alternative pet.

It has also asked the Animal Welfare League to give away only desexed rabbits.

Read the full article here.

Please see my comment below and also add your opinion here and on the article page!

Be sweet to Bunnies this Easter

Why do bunnies need our help?

Though it's illegal to test cosmetics and toiletries on animals in Australia, a loophole allows products that have been tested in laboratories overseas to still be sold in Australian supermarkets.


One of the most common animal tests is theDraize test, in which rabbits are restrained and have chemicals dripped to their sensitive eyes. They are often left to languish for days, unable to paw at their inflamed eyes to remove the painful substances.


Many people don't know that some of the most popular brands such asColgate/Palmolive, Procter & Gamble, andL'Oreal fund cruel and unnecessary tests that burn, poison, and kill millions of animals every year. You can help to convince these companies to quickly adopt humane alternatives to animal tests by demanding that animal tested cosmetics be banned in Australia. Please click here to take action.


On behalf of all animals who deserve to be free from laboratories, thank you for your support. We wish you a very happy, cruelty-free Easter!


From the Animals Australia team

Chocolates Not Bunnies for Easter

ANIMALS AUSTRALIA: Many household products are still tested on animals. You can help us give a little back to the Easter Bunny this year by ordering a cruelty-free Easter gift featuring a bashful bunny by JellyCat, a symbolic adoption certificate, a cruelty-free (non animal-tested) product list, and a stash of delicious dairy-free chocolates by Constant Craving, Plamil andRawganic! Go here.

Please remind people this Easter, don't buy your kids a real bunny. The House Rabbit Society remind people of these facts:

• Rabbits are not "low-maintenance" pets, and are a poor choice as a pet for children.
• They have a lifespan of 10 years and require as much work as a dog or cat.
• Your home must be bunny-proofed, or Thumper will chew cords and furniture.
• Rabbits must be neutered or spayed or they will mark your house with feces and urine.
• They should live indoors, as members of the family. 

DO NOT SUPPORT THIS CAUSE:

Furthermore, when choosing your chocolate, keep in mind that the Bilby Not Bunny campaign directly funds the government released virus' such as myxomatosis that can kill your domestic bunny. Without a vaccine, these deathly virus' give our bunnies no chance. There are better ways to manage bilby conservation and regardless, domestic bunnies cannot rationally be classed as part of the threat to bilbies. Boycott any chocolate in the shape of a Bilby or from the brands Haighs or Darrell Lea. I'm sure there are others too so be wary.

OR an even better Easter gift from Goodwill Wines. I have personally taste tested some of these wines and I can vouch for their deliciousness and also back their courageous cause. Radical Rabbit are passionate animal lovers who fight against animal abuse and aim to educate the community on how affectionate, caring rabbits can be and how many end up leading cruel lives being abused behind closed doors. Your purchase goes towards helping their rescued rabbits but also supports their political action, such as their case to get the myxo vaccine for domestic bunnies.

Happy Holidays!

Give us Rabbit Vaccine

A MT Waverley woman hopes to make more noise than Thumper by sending a million toy bunnies to Canberra and demanding a myxomatosis vaccine for pet rabbits.

Activist Karen Vondruska wants the Federal Government to allow the importation of the vaccine for pet rabbits, because she believed it unfair that domestic pets die from the disease.

She has been encouraging people through her websites to post a toy rabbit to Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Joe Ludwig.

Read full article here.

Mozzies spread lethal bunny virus

HUMANS are not the only victims of Mandurah’s mosquito plague, with veterinary clinics throughout the region reporting an alarming increase in the number of pet rabbits affected by myxomatosis.

Greenfields Veterinary Hospital veterinarian Holly Brown said many rabbits had had to be put to sleep in the past few months because of myxomatosis.

Myxomatosis a viral infection spread by insects such as mosquitoes and rabbit fleas.

The deadly disease can kill within 12 days.

Read full article here.

Beef cheeks no match for deboned bunny :(

TV cooking contest My Kitchen Rules continues to rule the ratings for Seven.

About 1.36 million Australians tuned in to watch Queensland butchers Artie Vella and Johnny Brown's heads put on the chopping block on Wednesday night.

Their carpaccio of fish entree, beef cheeks main and apple, pecan and rum cake desserts only scored 38 out of 60 with the judges.

Advertisement: Story continues below

The pair were out-sliced and diced by Sydney housemates Alex McCann and Bill Ringland who beat them by three points with their scallop and blood sausage entree, rabbit two-ways main and chocolate orange tart dessert. 

Read full article here. (if you can stand it..)

GOVT, LIBS VOTE FOR INACTION ON ANIMAL WELFARE REFORM (ACT)

“The initiatives Labor and Liberal voted against today include:
• Licensing of cat and dog breeders, and mandatory standards for breeding operations
• Mandatory desexing of pets on point of sale
• Improved animal cruelty laws
• A new system of microchip traceability to ensure breeders are known
• Regulation of the advertising of animals for sales
• Outlawing selling of cats and dogs in pet stores, markets, fetes and other problem areas.


From the Greens. Read more here.

Bunny Biz #2

This weeks hot topics.

Save Rabbit Runaway.


The Yarra Ranges Council ordered the closure of Rabbit Run-Away in December 2010, after refusing to grant a permit to allow them to continue operating the orphanage on their property in Stanley Street, Olinda.

Neighbours objections about extra traffic, limited parking in the street, the odour from the property, and black rabbits seen running loose in adjoining properties, led to the council's unanimous decision on the refusal of the permit.
These objections, which have been grossly exaggerated, falsified, not proven and poorly investigated by council officials, are the product of a small minority of uneducated, malicious, and slanderous troublemaking neighbours.


Follow their story here (website) and here (facebook). Please sign the petition to keep them open!!!



Help!


Foster carers, assistance with transport, updating websites and posting onto Gumtree etc needed for Sydney + NSW rescue groups and individuals. Please join (Kim Kearney Memorial) Pound Friends group to find out more. 







On some lighter notes:::



Scientists Discover Bones of a Giant Prehistoric Rabbit Nuralagus rex.

and

Chihuahua adopts Orphaned Bunnies left in Compost heap 

Support Tougher Penalties for Animal Cruelty and Neglect

TO THE HONOURABLE SPEAKER and MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED:

The petition of the undersigned draw attention to the House of Assembly Tasmania;

1. The widely held support for reform of the law to specify greater penalties to be applied to a person who is convicted of animal neglect or cruelty offences;

2. The widely held support for reform of the law to specify the mandatory loss of entitlement to keep or care for animals to be applied to a person who is convicted of serious animal neglect or cruelty offences.


Sign here.

Queensland Rabbit Fine Petition.

To:  Queensland Premier
In the state of Queensland, a law was passed to ban all pet rabbits. Any person found with a pet rabbit is fined $30,000 and the rabbit is confiscated & euthanased by Queensland law.

We the undersigned object to such fines being faced by responsible people who love their pet rabbits. The Queensland government should be promoting desexing, vaccination and registration of pets to encourage the public to be responsible with all animal care not promoting hate and misunderstanding of an innocent creature.

Domestic pet rabbits are not a threat to Queensland's environment. They cannot exist in the wild if let loose. They are prone to attack from many predators, will starve to death due to lack of food/water and would be under threat from released viruses.

We ask that the Queensland government review the $30,000 fine that responsible pet rabbit owners face if caught. Rabbits that are desexed, vaccinated and registered with councils should be exempt from fines and legally allowed to be kept in Queensland.


Sincerely,
The Undersigned


Sign here.

One Million Bunnies

Spot the real bunny. 

Help send one million bunnies to Canberra in support of the myxo vaccine to be made available to veterinarians for their pet bunny clients. 


Some points to consider (via the Myxomatosis Hotline):

Domestic rabbits don’t survive in the wild for these reasons:

* they are caught again by their owners or others

* they are too delicate and also need specific food and care to live

* reliant on humans for their food and water – can’t find water – if they find a dog’s water the dog would kill them

* dogs kill them

*  run over by cars

* die from lack of shelter and stress

* long haired breeds fur would knot up and stop them being able to move about thus they would die

In England the vaccinated domestic rabbits have no impact on the wild rabbit population who continue to die from the disease

*Wild rabbits have built up some immunity already and the Calicivirus is quicker and more effective as a culling virus

Domestic rabbits are currently allowed to have the Calicivirus vaccine but not the Myxomatosis vaccine!

You can find info on the campaign @ Radical Rabbit.

If you would like to then donate any bunnies you find in op shops or re-use centres, please get in contact with me as I can use them at stalls to further the cause.

claredm@hotmail.com