A very unpopular view

[Sabine]

Michaela wrote:

Luv-bunniz wrote:

Sabine, you're country is very lucky not to have an over-population problem. But don't compare your country to the UK or USA as far as animal welfare and population goes. I want to move to ireland now...

There is an over-population problem here! :sigh: Sure, it's not as huge as North America's problem, of course it's not, this place is more rural, less densely populated so there aren't the same kind of numbers, but it's still a problem.

A lot of shelters are kill shelters, many won't even take rabbits. There are many, many rabbits needing homes, like I said, the place to find them is newspaper classifieds, also notice boards in petshops, etc.

I cannot comment on Northern ireland but trust me I have tried in and around Cork and neighbouring counties, and even inqired wether there was a need for opening a shelter for rabbits. I was more or less laughed at by the rescue agencies

 

[irishbunny]

Really? Is there a problem in Northern Ireland? Like Sabine said, I regularly check shelters, classified ads, and shelter site and I might find one every month!

 

[pinksalamander]

Maybe its just me, but I don't agree with breeding point blank. I don't agree with creating more and more rabbits (or any animals for that fact) just for looks. I don't agree with at all therefore do not agree with any level of breeding, be it some of the breeders here who are very well informed, or backyard breeders.

Firstly, it is understandable that if there are no rescues, then go to a pet shop. Sadly most of these bunnies will be bred for the purpose. However some of them would be sold to the pet store from backyard breeders, or the results of accidental litters. This could then technically be considered similar to a rescue.

My point is, do what you want. Like I said to Becca in her thread, no one can stop you breeding if you want. But personally when I g to rescues and see rabbits lined up in cages usually too small for them, the women who slave over looking after these animals, the lady who runs the rescue I go to who is in six thousand pounds worth of debt because of the bunnies - it sickens me to think that elsewhere people are doing this for 'cuteness' and 'looks' and it irritates me to no end. My personal opinion is that anyone who breeds has no right to comment on rescueing or say they support it when they are acting against it.

Maybe one day we will able be able to breed efficiently, because there will be no animals in rescues, and every animal will find its good home. In that case, breeding would worik. However I highly doubt that is going to happen.

Fran :hearts :brownbunny

 

[Sabine]

Michaela wrote:

irishbunny wrote:

Aw I would love to help an abandoned bun from the UK...

What about an abandoned bun in your local newspaper? I'm sorry, but I cannot believe that papers can be full of ads here for rabbits free to good homes (and I'm not just talking accidental litters, older rabbits that are no longer wanted) when there are so so many here. :?

I've never seen an ad in a local paper and I am informed about the pet ads on gumtree on a daily basis. I am sure there is the odd rabbit here and there.I did reply to an ad online once. It turned out to be over a year old:?

 

[Michaela]

Sabine wrote:

I cannot comment on Northern ireland but trust me I have tried in and around Cork and neighbouring counties, and even inqired wether there was a need for opening a shelter for rabbits. I was more or less laughed at by the rescue agencies

I have tried shelters here too, and I've been told "No we dont "do" rabbits." I understand what you are getting at. It can even be hard to get cats in shelters here, a friend of mine was looking for a cat, she tried all the shelters nearby and they only had cat's that could not be handled or cat's with long term illnesses (neither of which are suitable for a family with young children of course). People who run those places consider rabbits as a lower class kid's pet, not deserving of a new home.

I know how hard it is, I have had two rabbits from petshops myself, thinking I had no choice but I without a doubt won't go down that route again.

Even if you don't "rescue" a rabbit, there will always be people who have had accidental litters needing homes for the babies. Back to the topic, there is no reason why owners here should be breeding non show class rabbits. It's just not worth the risk more than anything,

 

[irishbunny]

pinksalamander wrote:

Maybe its just me, but I don't agree with breeding point blank. I don't agree with creating more and more rabbits (or any animals for that fact) just for looks. I don't agree with at all therefore do not agree with any level of breeding, be it some of the breeders here who are very well informed, or backyard breeders.

Firstly, it is understandable that if there are no rescues, then go to a pet shop. Sadly most of these bunnies will be bred for the purpose. However some of them would be sold to the pet store from backyard breeders, or the results of accidental litters. This could then technically be considered similar to a rescue.

My point is, do what you want. Like I said to Becca in her thread, no one can stop you breeding if you want. But personally when I g to rescues and see rabbits lined up in cages usually too small for them, the women who slave over looking after these animals, the lady who runs the rescue I go to who is in six thousand pounds worth of debt because of the bunnies - it sickens me to think that elsewhere people are doing this for 'cuteness' and 'looks' and it irritates me to no end. My personal opinion is that anyone who breeds has no right to comment on rescueing or say they support it when they are acting against it.

Maybe one day we will able be able to breed efficiently, because there will be no animals in rescues, and every animal will find its good home. In that case, breeding would worik. However I highly doubt that is going to happen.

Fran :hearts :brownbunny

I suppose it's different for ye in the UK, since ye have a rabbit over population problem.

 

[irishbunny]

Back to the topic, there is no reason why owners here should be breeding non show class rabbits. It's just not worth the risk more than anything,

Thing is there is no shows if you live here lol.

 

[Michaela]

irishbunny wrote:

Really? Is there a problem in Northern Ireland? Like Sabine said, I regularly check shelters, classified ads, and shelter site and I might find one every month!

Well, for example, here is the Ads for Free in the Belfast Telegraph this week. Search rabbit. There are many more in the printed version, I check every week now. And there are loads of papers like that.

 

[Happi Bun]

Honestly... just because there isn't a rabbit overpopulation problem in your area (apparently there is one in your country though) doesn't mean good, responsible breeding practices don't matter.

 

[irishbunny]

Happi Bun wrote:

Honestly... just because there isn't a rabbit overpopulation problem in your area (apparently there is one in your country though) doesn't mean good, responsible breeding practices don't matter.

Most of Northern Ireland isn't part of my country, it's the UK

 

[irishbunny]

Oh sorry, I didn't realise this was just supposed to be about where Becca is from...my bad! What I'm trying to say is of course I believe in good breeding practices, but I think it has to be taken into consideration where someone lives and how the whole bunny thing works in a certain country, jeez, don't get me wrong I'd love if breeding was as good as say the USA, but the thing is, here, it isn't. There are no bunny shows, 4-h, arba, none of that. Here, they are just pets, end of story..

 

[Happi Bun]

Ok... I think you missed my point though. Just because you don't have an overpopulation problem doesn't mean people will just overlook poor breeding practices.

 

[irishbunny]

Happi Bun wrote:

Ok... I think you missed my point though. Just because you don't have an overpopulation problem doesn't mean people will just overlook poor breeding practices.

Oh sorry, I think I misunderstood, of course they should not be overlooked...

 

[Michaela]

irishbunny wrote:

Happi Bun wrote:

Honestly... just because there isn't a rabbit overpopulation problem in your area (apparently there is one in your country though) doesn't mean good, responsible breeding practices don't matter.

Most of Northern Ireland isn't part of my country, it's the UK

And because technically NI is part of the UK we are drastically different from the RoI? No. :rollseyes

Happi bun is right, great point. Even if there was not an over-population problem, irresponsible breeding would lead to exactly that. Yes it is true that Rabbit Showing is not a big thing here (although it exists, I have been to small shows, saw Belgian Hares, French Lops, Rex, Polish and other breeds, so it's not totally non-existent), it still doesn't mean people should deliberately breed their rabbits. Accidental litters alone would probably provide the "demand" for rabbits. (As much as I hate to use that phrase in this sense).

 

[Sabine]

pinksalamander wrote:

Maybe its just me, but I don't agree with breeding point blank. I don't agree with creating more and more rabbits (or any animals for that fact) just for looks. I don't agree with at all therefore do not agree with any level of breeding, be it some of the breeders here who are very well informed, or backyard breeders.

Firstly, it is understandable that if there are no rescues, then go to a pet shop. Sadly most of these bunnies will be bred for the purpose. However some of them would be sold to the pet store from backyard breeders, or the results of accidental litters. This could then technically be considered similar to a rescue.

My point is, do what you want. Like I said to Becca in her thread, no one can stop you breeding if you want. But personally when I g to rescues and see rabbits lined up in cages usually too small for them, the women who slave over looking after these animals, the lady who runs the rescue I go to who is in six thousand pounds worth of debt because of the bunnies - it sickens me to think that elsewhere people are doing this for 'cuteness' and 'looks' and it irritates me to no end. My personal opinion is that anyone who breeds has no right to comment on rescueing or say they support it when they are acting against it.

Maybe one day we will able be able to breed efficiently, because there will be no animals in rescues, and every animal will find its good home. In that case, breeding would worik. However I highly doubt that is going to happen.

Fran :hearts :brownbunny

Is that realistic to be against any form of breeding? Considering that a rabbit's life span is approximately 6-8 years and does can only be safely bred at a rather young age. if we all stopped breeding in the morning within a few years there would be no more rabbits left and many fantastic breeds would vanish.
itseems to me that people have to be reasonable and look around their area and make an educated decision whether breeding more rabbits is of any benifit.

 

[Sabine]

Happi Bun wrote:

Honestly... just because there isn't a rabbit overpopulation problem in your area (apparently there is one in your country though) doesn't mean good, responsible breeding practices don't matter.

I agree on the latter but Northern Ireland is only geographically part of Ireland it's politically part of Britain and therefore I believe the rabbit situation might be similar too.

 

[pinksalamander]

Thats what I'm saying. The main reason I don't agree with breeding is because I don't agree with people breeding rabbits for looks when there are rabbits in rescues. If there were no rabbits at all that did not have homes, there would be no rescues. Therefore adoption would not happen, therefore breeding would be OK. I don't like the idea of creating more rabbits when there are ones in rescues - so until there aren't any in rescues, I don't agree with breeding.

Hope I made myself clear.

Fran :hearts :brownbunny

 

[irishbunny]

I agree with you Fran, under UK circumstances...

 

[Michaela]

Sabine wrote:

Happi Bun wrote:

Honestly... just because there isn't a rabbit overpopulation problem in your area (apparently there is one in your country though) doesn't mean good, responsible breeding practices don't matter.

I agree on the latter but Northern Ireland is only geographically part of Ireland it's politically part of Britain and therefore I believe the rabbit situation might be similar too.

I really don't mean to offend here, but why or how would the political situation in NI affect homeless rabbits? :?

Fran, you made yourself very clear, I agree.

 

[Sabine]

Michaela wrote:

Sabine wrote:

Happi Bun wrote:

Honestly... just because there isn't a rabbit overpopulation problem in your area (apparently there is one in your country though) doesn't mean good, responsible breeding practices don't matter.

I agree on the latter but Northern Ireland is only geographically part of Ireland it's politically part of Britain and therefore I believe the rabbit situation might be similar too.

I really don't mean to offend here, but why or how would the political situation in NI affect homeless rabbits? :?

Fran, you made yourself very clear, I agree.

As in having closer ties to Britain. For example the BRC covering Britain and Northern Ireland