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How can we use the power of RU

Buuny_Friend

Mama Doe
I am sure you will all agree with me when I say that we have something very special and very powerful in this forum.

How can we use this to *try* and improve things?

I have been doing a lot of thinking recently (and yes, it did hurt!) about the plight of rabbits (and guinea pigs) and what I can do to help.

As one person, it is very hard to make an impact but as a collective, such as this forum, I think we can get our point across.

What do you guys think? Setting up our own petitions to improve welfare standards in pet shops (better/bigger accomodation, to cease the use of wood shavings, for pet shops to start vaccinating bunnies before they leave the shop...)

I have come to realise that we will not 'beat' the pet shops (i.e. get them to stop selling animals) so why not join them? (improve the standards for the animals in their care).

I know I may be being a bit too optimistic and unrelistic but, with a group of so many people fighting for the same cause, it must be able to be used for something?

xxx
 
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We want a myxi vacs that works. A pet licence that allows people to have buns only after they know the basics. Minimum hutch sizes. Buns only sold through petshops when neutered/spayed, & potential owners to have a 7 day cooling off period before they can take bun home. Breeding to be illegal unless a BREEDING licence is held. Rabbit savvy vets.

Erm - that'll sort it:lol:

There are a few petshops working more closely with Local Rescues - & there has been a marked improvement in my Local P@H as a result of complaints their HO received.
 
i think the way forward is to petition MP's to get them to change the laws.

I have spoken to pet shops so often now I am likely to be banned if i go to the local one again. I have tried being reasonable and also had heated arguements to no avail.
They smugly tell me they are operating within the law:( and I can do nothing to make them have a change of heart).
.I don't think a petition would do any good for them.

However- thats not to say petitions don't work (and I have not tried that approach myself)

. I guess anythings worth a try.
good luck.-sue :wave:

edit -individual pet shops not PAH
 
We want a myxi vacs that works. A pet licence that allows people to have buns only after they know the basics. Minimum hutch sizes. Buns only sold through petshops when neutered/spayed, & potential owners to have a 7 day cooling off period before they can take bun home. Breeding to be illegal unless a BREEDING licence is held. Rabbit savvy vets.
Erm - that'll sort it:lol:

There are a few petshops working more closely with Local Rescues - & there has been a marked improvement in my Local P@H as a result of complaints their HO received.

:lol: Not that we are demanding!
 
rabbit care courses - eventually aiming for a situation where you don't get the rabbit if you don't complete the course - i'd make it three evenings or an all day, or perhaps longer.
 
I know what you're thinking but you have some sizeable opposition. Google the Pet Care Trust and look at their policy statements (note point 10 in the pet manifesto :evil:). When I had issues with a local garden centre that sells rabbits, I contacted the environmental health department who assured me that the shop is fine as it follows the guidelines laid out by the Pet Care Trust (who's members are small/ medium pet shops, groomers, catteries etc. therefore it's self-regulating in a way so less than useless).

Have a look at their rabbit care leaflet also - heavily biased towards what they sell e.g .woodshavings, salt licks etc.


good luck!
 
I was thinking about making a basic black and white leaflet along the lines of "spring is coming and so is myxomatosis. time to get your bunny vaccinated" and then getting a few hundred copies made up (black and white single sided so should be quite cheap) and then giving them to all the local pet shops to give away with bunny products.
 
some good ideas........have you joined the RWA?

We want a myxi vacs that works.

Not going to happen :) Not soon anyway. Myxi is a virus and very good at adapting. The current mixi vacine is not actually myxi virus at all but a live virus which is a close relation. This gives some immunity from the mixi virus, a little like catching cowpox gave milkmaids immunity from small pox. I think that perhaps there are so many strains of mixi or perhaps the imune system will not recognise a dead mixi strain so the vaccine cannot be as effective.

A pet licence that allows people to have buns only after they know the basics.

I'd say thumbs up for that for all pets!

Minimum hutch sizes.

Good plan but I would say that should be a legal minimum for owners and advertising from the point of petshops. Unfortunately as GP's are often kept in hutches too there will always be a requirement for the smaller hutches. The trick is to try and educate the public away from them and ensure petshops do not advertise them as for rabbits.


Buns only sold through petshops when neutered/spayed, & potential owners to have a 7 day cooling off period before they can take bun home.

I think that this would probably point people towards the back yard breeders because of the increase in costs and 7 day cooling off period. In some ways I would rather people got their pets from a reputable pet store who's premises and breeders will be inspected than from job blogs breeding his bunnies to make a bit of money on the side.

Breeding to be illegal unless a BREEDING licence is held.

Absolutely agree with this one.

Rabbit savvy vets.

Also agree that vets should spend more time on rabbits given their popularity but the course is SO big that it is very hard to cover all the species. I think the most logical way is to get vets to specialise at university in their final year to a certain line of vet science,e.g livestock and poultry, small animals, exotic birds, RDC (rabbits, dogs, cats). Most bigger vets though will have a rabbit specialist, it is just a matter of hunting around for one.
 
I think ALL breeding should be baned outright:shock: ESPECAILY Lops, Neithes, due to dental issues. Large breeds due to congenital heart issues. I am sure the list could go on:cry:

I don't think we should really keep pets as we can never give them the freedom to run, breed etc that they get in the wild.

Saying that I have an awful lot of pets and would be lost without them, I don't know what I would do with my life.

But saying all that there is a website here http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/ to stat up a petition, I would sign still:oops: and I think it is lovely of you:wave:
 
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