# Urgent: Lobby Needed For BC Bunnies!



## Pipp (Jan 31, 2008)

http://castanet.net/edition/news-story-36763--.htm#36763

*Culling may be part of solution*

by Wayne Moore - Story: 36763
Jan 22, 2008 / 5:00 am

The City of Kelowna will ask for the Regional District and The Responsible Animal Care Society (TRACS) for input regarding the City's growing rabbit problem. 

Urban Forestry Supervisor, Ian Wilson, says his report recommended going to the Regional District because the City of Kelowna does not have an animal control section. 

"That's a regional function that is contracted to the region," says Wilson. "That's simply why it was suggested we go to the Regional District because of that animal control function." 

City Councillor and Regional District Chair, Robert Hobson, says he's not sure if the Regional District is the right vehicle for this type of problem. 

"I'm sure we could do it. I think we would need a regional bylaw because it sounds like they are going to spread," says Hobson. 

"The City would also have to convince its neighbours on both sides of the lake maybe that they should contribute to some sort of regional function and that it is going to cost more money." 

Hobson says the bigger issue is how to solve the problem. 

"It's a question of whether you want to reduce them, in which case you would want to contract with somebody like the 'Starling Control Company,' to capture and euthanize them, or whether you want some long term maintenance program where people actually look after them." 

He adds culling will probably be part of any recommendation brought back from the Regional Board. 

"The inhumane thing was for people to let them go and let them breed in our urban environment. Something has to be done to get the population down." 

Council also agreed that any discussion about the rabbit problem must also include prevention, which includes a possible bylaw that would prevent pet stores from selling rabbits that have not been spayed or neutered. 

"There's three pet stores in town that do sell rabbits, and this would add significantly to the price of these pets," says Wilson. "None of them seemed to be too concerned because it was such a minor part of their business that they felt it would be reasonable." 

Councillor, Carol Gran, added heavy fines should be imposed to anyone seen dropping off any animal in our community. 

"It's cruel. It's the ultimate in cruelty," says Gran. 

"What's even more cruel is for us to sit here and know that those rabbits are our there starving and freezing. But, what I don't want to see us do is spend a zillion dollars on this issue. We have enough people sleeping in our streets that we can't look after." 

In 2007, during the height of summer, Wilson estimates there were as many as 2,000 in the Enterprise Way area alone. 

"Do you have any idea the cost to neuter these animals,?" asked Gran. 

Wilson says it could cost anywhere from $30 to $150 per rabbit. 

"You multiply that by thousands and it's a fair amount of money that feeds a lot of homeless people." 

Councilor Brian Given says regardless of what Council decides, the issue of what to do with the rabbits will be an emotional one with the citizens of Kelowna. 

"Rabbits are pets and they're pets to young kids," says Given. "Rabbits are tied to nursery rhymes and stories and the Easter Bunny and all kinds of things that are very positive for children." 

He says this is a very emotional button Council is pushing. 

Given says he has seen on some weekends, as many as 20 people dropping food off for the rabbits at any one time. 

Wilson says a bylaw prohibiting the feeding of these animals does not traditionally work. 

TRACS has indicated it would favour a bylaw prohibiting the sale of unsterilized rabbits. 

Wilson says TRACS has also said it is preparing a proposal which should be ready in February. 

Mayor, Sharon Shepherd, says she would like to wait for that report before any decisions are made. 

It is expected the Regional Board will come back with recommendations and costs within the next month.


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## Dragonrain (Jan 31, 2008)

What a horrable situation for those rabbits! 

It's terrible to just leave them outside like that, but then sad if they catch them just to put them all down. 

The part about the pet stores starting to sell fixed rabbits to 'help the problem' really upset me. How about fixing some of the ones that are out in the cold and trying to find them homes, rather then bringing in more rabbits, and supporting the breeding mills, when you have a town filled with 1,000s of homeless rabbits already? :grumpy:


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## Spring (Feb 1, 2008)

Oh my .

All starts with education. If they knew what they were doing to the rabbits, theymight have thought twice about releasing them.I think it's super important for them to start education early especially with Easter coming around... can only add to the numbers after the Easter impulse buys . I'm glad they are taking the steps to atleast make a bylaw against selling rabbits who aren't spayed or neutered but they really need to do more.

It makes me feel so helpless.. is there anything I can do from hereto help? Can't take in any more bunnies unfortunately. 

Is there any other organization helping with this?


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## PixieStixxxx (Feb 1, 2008)

Is there something us BC's can do?

Do you think SARS or VRRA could get involved and somehow help out?

Edit: I sent a message to Olga of VRRA.. hoping she can help with a solution :?


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## Nadezhda (Feb 1, 2008)

I *just* moved from Kelowna!

There aren't *that* many bunnies on Enterprise! They live mostly outside the Telus building, and go into hibernation as soon as it starts getting too cold in Kelowna. Kelowna is a really mild place, nicknamed the 'Hawaii of BC'. 

The bunnies have been surviving like this for YEARS and no ones cared. People brag about how the smart bunnies on Enterprise look both ways before crossing the street. I think some bunny must have made a burrow close to electrical lines, or something that made them into a pest rather than a 'cute little attraction'.

It fails that a problem that has been there for literally, YEARS, isn't a problem until the bunnies probably made a pest of themselves. Had they tried to take care of those buns when they were first let loose, it wouldn't be as big of a job as it will be now.


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## gentle giants (Feb 1, 2008)

*Nadezhda wrote: *


> They live mostly outside the Telus building, and go into hibernation as soon as it starts getting too cold in Kelowna.



Ah, not to be contradictory, but rabbits don't hibernate. Probably people won't see them as much during cold weather because they are hiding in whatever shelter they can find.


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## Nadezhda (Feb 1, 2008)

Ack, I didn't mean hibernation!

They dig holes and hid. (You can see some the holes underneath the Telus sign after they take out the flowers) The people in the Telus building give them feed during the winter.

Nadya - thoroughly embarrassed by that slip-up.


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## gentle giants (Feb 1, 2008)

Ok, that makes more sense, LOL.


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## trailsend (Feb 1, 2008)

Are there no Organizations out there to help catch these buns and re locate them? I would do it if I was closer. I think maybe they need to be looking at the larger problems here. Spring is correct in saying it all starts with Education. What a horrible unnecessary situation.


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## Nadezhda (Feb 1, 2008)

I doubt that there is any organization around K-town to rehome these rabbits, and the SPCA likely has no space for them either. This past October (or so) the SPCA in Penticton has to start putting down kitties because they had no room. (We went on a car trip (like, 30 to 40 minutes away depending on how fast you drive ) to go get kitties as birthday and Christmas presents for people who could take them.


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## PixieStixxxx (Feb 1, 2008)

*trailsend wrote: *


> Are there no Organizations out there to help catch these buns and re locate them? I would do it if I was closer. I think maybe they need to be looking at the larger problems here. Spring is correct in saying it all starts with Education. What a horrible unnecessary situation.


I don't know how that could help. There are two other cities here - Victoria and Richmond, where the loose rabbit population is in the 1000's. Re-locating them.. don't know how that could help.

People really need to stop dumping their rabbits :grumpy:

I still haven't recieved a reply from Vancouver Rabbit Rescue... anyone try contacting Lisa at SARS? SARS or VRRA would definately make a mark educating Kelowna.


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## Pipp (Feb 2, 2008)

The local orgs areall well awareofthis, what they need now is a lobby to put pressure on the powers to be to find a solution other than culling. 

Funding a fewsanctuarieswould be the best thing they could do --catch them, separate by sex,neuter the boys, and turn them loose incontrolled environments to live out their lives as the lastgeneration. 

(Really would be nice to rush development of a birth control drug for animals, but that's a few years away, although a lobby in that direction might hurry it up a little bit). 



sas


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## trailsend (Feb 2, 2008)

Are there any exisiting Sanctuaries nearby? 

Another thing I think would really help is Spay/Neuter clinics and mobile services that offer spay/neuter at a lower cost - like mobile spay/neuter clinics for dogs and cats - they help tremendously. My Vet here (and all the other local ones) charge $240 for a neuter and won't spay. In Colorado, it costs $30 for a neuter.


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## PixieStixxxx (Feb 3, 2008)

There are no sanctuaries I believe =[ In fact, my dream is to open up a rabbit sanctuary for BC. I hope to own [or lease!] a massive piece of land. One part dedicated to feral domestic rabbits. And the other part dedicated to unadoptable rabbits who are old, agressive, or special needs. If onlyyyy </3

Olga from VRRA has written a letter to the city counsel in Kelowna. Let's hope something good comes out of it!


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## PixieStixxxx (Feb 7, 2008)

I have an updateee!

"Permission to move bunnies fast tracked
by Rachael Kimola - Story: 37073
Feb 4, 2008 / 6:00 pm

Moving day for Kelownaâs bunnies may happen sooner than anticipated. 

An application for permission to capture the rabbits has been fast tracked by the Ministry of Fish and Wildlife. 

Sinikka Crosland of The Responsible Animal Care Society, says she spoke with Ministry officials on Friday. 

âThey have been very supportive, they want to fast track the permit to allow us to take the sterilized rabbits up to the property in Joe Rich,â says Crosland.


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## Elizabeth (Feb 7, 2008)

An update for those who are interested... 

On February 23rd, a gentleman who has experience in capturing rabbits in a manner that is safe and effective will be doing a training session for the rest of us involved in the bunny situation and the good people at TRACS. Once we've had that training session we're going to start trapping the bunnies in the area near the Ramada as that's where the most complaints have been. It looks like there's about 60 bunnies in that area. Sinikka's been in contact with some of the local vets to look at getting discounts for spays and neuters, some have been helpful, some... haven't.






We have a 1/2 acre to an acre of land in Joe Riche and we're looking for enough "handy" volunteers to help us build a fence around the area. 

If there's anyone in the Kelowna area who would like to help out with capturing, or any other aspect of volunteering, please pm me and we can chat about what's needed.

We're hoping to start capturing bunnies as soon as possible as right now is when they're at their lowest numbers. We're estimating there's about 600 bunnies out there but by the spring and summer there can be as many as 3,000. Unfortunately for the bunnies (although I guess it's fortunate for those of us involved in capturing them), in the winter, while they do dig burrows for protection, the real reason that people see less of them is because they're freezing to death, being eaten by predators and dying slow painful deaths from starvation (despite the many people who feed them).

It's such an unnatural situation for these domestic bunnies to be living outdoors like this - it's heartbreaking.A group of us have been trying for the last couple of years to draw the city's attention to the fact that these are not "wild" bunnies and while it's so cute to see tiny little bunnies sitting by the side of our highway munching grass, it's not so cute to see dead bunnies lying by the side of the road after being hit by cars or deliberately hurt by humans. It drives me nuts that people think it's perfectly fine that these bunnies live outdoors.

My girl Abigail is one of these feral domestic bunnies, she was hit by a car and then, when a second car stopped and honked the horn but she couldn't drag her broken body off the road fast enough, he cruelly ran over her as well. She was brought to our vet office with,surprisingly, nothing more thana dislocated hip. However it is permanently dislocated. She came to us skinny as a rail, a rough horrible looking coat and flinching every time you came near her. Over a year later she'sa much-loved house bunny with a typical demanding diva attitude. 

As I said before, if you live in the area and would like to volunteer your time, please pm me. I can give you a bit more information or get you in contact with Sinikka at TRACS. SARS BC is also planning on helping out in whatever capacity they can from Vancouver.


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## Pipp (Feb 7, 2008)

PixieStixxxx* wrote: *


> There are no sanctuaries I believe =[ In fact, my dream is to open up a rabbit sanctuary for BC. I hope to own [or lease!] a massive piece of land. One part dedicated to feral domestic rabbits. And the other part dedicated to unadoptable rabbits who are old, agressive, or special needs. If onlyyyy </3
> 
> Olga from VRRA has written a letter to the city counsel in Kelowna. Let's hope something good comes out of it!



Ditto, April. I approached aWildlife/Land Conservatory orga year or two back, they said they'd glady donate land and help set it up, but couldn't get any of the existing house rabbit orgs interested at the time (had their hands full), needs a separate entity. The person I was dealing with has left, so not sure if her replacement will be as accomodating, but I think land is the easiest part.

And hopefully all the VRRA members (and SARS members) as well as Olga write in when situations like this present themselves, volume really makes a difference. 

Re: Update(s), cool, I was going to mention TRACS, glad to see it's well covered. Really glad to see this being fast tracked.

And Elizabeth,hopefully a ton of volunteers and vets will offer their services, please keep us informed!

*Elizabeth wrote: *


> My girl Abigail is one of these feral domestic bunnies, she was hit by a car and then, when a second car stopped and honked the horn but she couldn't drag her broken body off the road fast enough, he cruelly ran over her as well. She was brought to our vet office with,surprisingly, nothing more thana dislocated hip. However it is permanently dislocated. She came to us skinny as a rail, a rough horrible looking coat and flinching every time you came near her. Over a year later she'sa much-loved house bunny with a typical demanding diva attitude.


Got pics? :biggrin2:

RESCUES: BEFORE and AFTER PHOTOS



sas :bunnydance:


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## Elizabeth (Feb 7, 2008)

I added pictures of Abigail to the rescue before and after thread.


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## Haley (Feb 8, 2008)

Do you guys have anything like Best Friends in Canada? Any large scale animal rescues who could use some good publicity? Thats what they did with the Reno bunnies. Great Lakes here in Michigan has several hundred of them and theyre thriving in an outdoor sanctuary. Yes there are problems with fighting and diseases and such, but those problems would exist if they were left where they were. At least now they are given plenty of safe space to roam, food, hay, water and shelter.


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## Elizabeth (Feb 8, 2008)

Unfortunately we don't have any large scale animal rescues in Kelowna or surrounding areas. TRACS may be one of our larger ones and it's not even that big. 

That's our plan for these bunnies, spay and neuter and move them to a large outdoor sanctuary where food, water and shelter will be supplied. I think our biggest problem (other than getting them all captured and moved!) is the large mass of uninformed people in this city who believe that these bunnies are pefectly fine and happy living the way they are now. :?


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