NEWS RELEASE about Environmentpublié le mars 30, 2011 by Roslyn Cassells

District of Saanich island leader in best practices for rabbit and deer population management

Non-lethal animal welfare policies and educational initiatives top council's agenda Tuesday March 29 2011

by Roslyn Cassells

EARS rabbits, Coombs, BC

EARS rabbits, Coombs BC

EARS rabbits Coombs BC

MEDIA RELEASE - DISTRICT OF SAANICH ISLAND LEADER IN BEST PRACTICES FOR RABBIT AND DEER MANAGEMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

March 30 2011 The District of Saanich is no longer "just a brick in the wall" of the Vancouver Island municipalities blocking adoption of best practises in animal welfare.  Concerned citizens are elated that this council chose to adopt progressive, humane, non-lethal approaches to dealing with the issue of rabbit abandonment in their jurisdiction.  And, as the seemingly impenetrable Berlin Wall crumbled rapidly, advocates hope that opposition to progressive animal legislation in other Vancouver Island jurisdictions will follow suite.

Last night District of Saanich councillors adopted amendments banning the sale or adoption of rabbits that have not been spayed or neutered and the abandonment of rabbits on public and private property.  In addition, the district now requires rabbits kept on private property to be kept in secure, enclosed structures. 

In a true show of leadership this municipal council is also recommending that others join them in this effort - recommending that the Capital Regional District and other municipalities follow suite and enact similar non-lethal regulations to help manage populations of deer and rabbits.  Staff have been directed to get this information out to the public using a variety of methods.  Deer advocates are also pleased to see that the planning killing of deer has been replaced, for the moment, with improved strategies around education and use of barriers such as higher fencing.  Dogs now have a new off-leash area during summer months at Cordova Bay.

The Battle of the Bunnies at UVic brought an awareness of the plight of domestic rabbits on the island to the public.  The far-reaching public education and advocacy initiative drew thousands of concerned residents, animal advocacy groups, and concerned veterinarians into the effort to save these now famous rabbits.  The relocation of the over 1000 rabbits began in the fall of 2010 and ended just recently...making it the largest rescue of rabbits in Canadian history.

The societal conditions which brought about the large population of abandoned rabbits on UVic's campus however have changed little.  Unsterilized rabbits are still up for sale all over Vancouver Island, including in Victoria and other Capital Regional District pet stores, farms, homes, and backyards.  Recently advertisements were seen in Victoria for rabbits for sale for $5.  Other online sources revealed that rabbits in Victoria and elsewhere on Vancouver Island are being given away for free, sold for practically nothing, and sold for meat or fur.

Despite public awareness campaigns and approaching councils and boards directly, local authorities have universally denied any responsibility in dealing with the matter.  Instead they have availed themselves of provincial pest control budget monies and hired trappers to kill the abandoned pet rabbits on their lands.  In other words they took taxpayer money and used it to kill abandoned pets...when non-lethal alternatives are not only available, but are also more economical (see Best Friends comparative studies on lethal vs. non-lethal animal control costs).

Research has shown that Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) programs are both humane and cost effective for the control and reduction of existing rabbit colonies.  Bylaws banning the sale of fertile rabbits, and bylaws banning the sale of rabbits in pet stores help reduce the number of rabbits abandoned in any jurisdiction.  Until such time as these basic measures are put in place throughout Vancouver Island, as the District of Saanich and many forward-thinking municipalities in the lower mainland of British Columbia have done, these animals will continue to suffer, municipalities will continue to employ brutish killing techniques to temporarily reduce their numbers, and taxpayers dollars will continue to be wasted on these unsustainable pest control budgets.

In this day and age it is unthinkable to cruelly exterminate these innocent victims of human selfishness, ignorance, and neglect.  From a management point of view, ethics aside, the best practises model for rabbit population control is one of non-lethal population control, combined with public education campaigns and enforcement.

Advocates now hope that other local governments will look to the District of Saanich and adopt those bylaws which enable people and animals to coexist.  In the case of rabbits and deer at least, this municipality has done it's duty and is to be commended.   Local residents, staff, and council have put in extra hours and effort to make sure they did the right thing by these two species, and it will not go unnoticed.

For the rabbits and the deer, and all their animal relations...for the people of Vancouver Island...the remaining municipalities can and must do better.

Roslyn Cassells
Action for UVic Rabbits
former Vancouver Park Board Commissioner