MELBOURNE Australia Rescue forced to close

[katadvokat]

The Rabbit Run-Away Orphanage is a small, privately run rescue that has been forced to close due to neighbours complaints about parking and viewing rabbits as vermin.

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Please see news article for more detail:http://free-press-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/yarra-ranges-council-orders-the-closure-of-olinda-bunny-shelter/

The council that approved the rescue to operate has now turned against them. This has not only put the rescue rabbits at risk but also the owners own pet rabbits! It also closes down an important community organisation that took in rabbits in other shelters that were at capacity and forced to euthanise.

Please sign the petition tosave the Orphanage http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/saverabbitrunaway

I am not certain if all the rabbits are in alternative accommodationso if anyone in Melbournecan help out, please contact Judi and Bryce [email protected]

 

[maxysmummy]

signed the petition, what bastards!

 

[Nancy McClelland]

generally, they seem to be mostly north ends of a southbound horse.

 

[maxysmummy]

being an aussie i totally understand the concern re: native wildlife. we have a beautiful and diverse fauna and it IS sad that wild rabbits have destroyed so much of it.

but do these people not realise that stray domestic rabbits are hardly going to survive in the wild, let alone commit acts of ecoterrorism?!?!?! and even if they COULD, wouldn't it be better that we have somewhere that we can keep them in captivity rather than just running amok?

 

[katadvokat]

Shutting down this place is not going to solve any of the problem of domestic strays anyway. If that's what this council is saying is one of the issues. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that the couple that run the rescue, work to reduce numbers of strays along with taking in rescued rabbits.

generally, they seem to be mostly north ends of a southbound horse.

Lol. That is so polite!

 

[LuvaBun]

I signed

Jan

 

[Amy27]

I signed and posted it to my Facebook page.

 

[GoneToTheBuns]

I will also add (living rather near this rescue and being able to vouch they do awesome work) that the councils choice is nothing but a few bad apples causing trouble because they don't believe rabbits should be pets. Loose and feral cats are a far worse introduced pest but are more accepted as pets. Foxes, also introduced and pest species, which are horrifically damaging to our native wildlife and which transmit mange etc to wildlife and pets alike are rife and the council does nothing about them. It's pure and simple prejudice that has them going after rabbit rescues imo.

To add to it all - all the rabbits there are SPAYED AND NEUTERED! So even if by some remote chance any rabbit *ever* escaped - which hasn't happened - there is zero chance of them contributing to a pest problem.

Instead the council has only ensured that rabbits will continue to be "set free" by being dumped on the sides of roads. The few bigger shelters (RSPCA, Australian Animal Protection Society) are not always local and many people opt to simply set unwanted pet rabbits loose. This is already a big problem around here with many people I know having found rabbits, some of which have been successfully captured, others of which haven't. None of which have the benefit of being spayed or neutered by rescue either.

If anyone would like to spread the word further - there is a facebook page http://www.facebook.com/saverabbitrunaway

Currently they are looking to raise funds for legal fees to fight the closure.

 

[Violet23]

Signed and posted to FB

 

[Purple Mountain Rabbitry]

signed and posted to facebook.

 

[Nikki_Shortstuff]

I signed! I can't believe the nerve of some people. :grumpy:

 

[crystal]

I live about half an hours drive from this place but all of you knew about it before I did! I came on here to see if there had been a topic made about it.

I signed the petition and I'm hoping to be able to think of other ways to help. but at the moment I am just upset. I know someone who got a rabbit from Rabbit Runaway and they were so helpful and caring. they even kept her rabbit for a week while it bonded with the rabbit she was adopting.

I hope by bumping this thread that more people might see it and sign the petition