Myxomatosis: It is against Australian law to protect your beloved pet
General Overview
Myxomatosis is the leading cause of death for pet bunnies in Australia. It is spread through direct contact with an infected rabbit, or through vectors such as mosquitoes and fleas. Symptoms occur a week after infection, and include swollen eyelids, genitalia and ears, discharge from the eyes and nose, loss of appetite and respiratory difficulties. Myxomatosis is a death sentence; there is no cure. However, there is a vaccine which allows a bunny to fight the illness. This is not currently available to pet owners or farmed rabbits in Australia.
The Australian Government needs to be held accountable for all the cruel bunny deaths and emotional heartache caused to thousands of Australian families. When they released myxomatosis into Australia to control the wild rabbit population (1950), no consideration was given to these people. The widespread suffering our domesticated bunnies have endured, demonstrate a gross negligence from the government. Their excuses are based on misleading information, which is unsubstantiated. The vaccine was, and may still be, in use by the CSIRO, to protect their laboratory rabbits. If they are permitted the use of the vaccine, the argument for potential transfer of immunity from domestic to wild rabbits is void. The myxomatosis vaccine is available in other countries (UK and Europe), with inoculated pets proving they are not impacting the build up of resistance in wild populations. Resistance among feral rabbits is a natural progression after any introduced virus, and will occur with or without individual rabbits being vaccinated.
There is a demand for the myxomatosis vaccine by Australian pet owners and rabbit meat farmers. The time has come to stand up for our rights.
How does this affect you, if you are not a bunny owner?
A similar comparison can be made by a more popular pet for those who believe the right to vaccinate does not affect them. The feral cat population also requires control, but would there be any question of forbidding cat owners the right to protect their pet against an introduced disease targeting feral cats? If you don't own a rabbit and don't think this affects you, will you expect support when your rights as a responsible pet owner are compromised by Australian law?
These are changing times. Bunnies have become the third most common pet in Australia. Their role as family members has evolved to see bunnies housed inside, interacting with humans in the same manner as dogs and cats. Companion rabbit societies advocating responsible ownership are on the increase. Rabbits fit into many Australian households, and continue to be a potentially long-lived and well-loved family pet. Don't discriminate against our pets, they are not wild rabbits and have never caused any damage to the environment or economy.
To help legalise our rights as responsible pet owners, there are many steps individuals can take. Online petitions are formed on a regular basis, and every signature counts. The only way to create change is to speak up, and sending letters to the government is one way we are focussing on to see this come about. Below is a letter sent to:
The Hon Joe Ludwig
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry
PO Box 6022
House of Representatives
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
No response has been received to date. Feel free to appropriate or use any part of this letter below to help make our voice heard.
To The Hon Joe Ludwig,
I am writing in regards to the myxomatosis vaccine, which is at present not allowed into Australia. The myxomatosis virus was introduced into Australia to control the feral rabbit population, but it does not discriminate between feral rabbits and farmed or pet rabbits.
In 2008 the National Consultive Committee On Animal Welfare (NCCAW) stated it would be feasible to include myxomatosis as part of the Rabbit Calicivirus vaccine given to farmed and pet rabbits. The inactivated vaccine ensures resistance cannot accidentally spread to the wild rabbit population; leaving no pragmatic reason not to allow the vaccine into Australia. The NCCAW meeting was over two years ago and there still haven't been any developments in bringing Myxoma-RHDV into Australia.
I support Porsche's Animal Rescue, which regularly saves and rehomes desexed pet rabbits. I see no logical reason for Australia to outlaw the use of the myxomatosis vaccine on pet and farmed rabbits.
The emotional devastation for pet owners and the financial loss for rabbit farmers is huge. As a government representing the people, I don't understand how a law can be made which does not represent the wishes of the Australian rabbit owning public.
I would like to know what steps are being taken to allow veterinary surgeons to administer this vaccine to pet and farmed rabbits.
I would like to see the legalisation of a myxomatosis vaccine before another wave of unnecessary and costly deaths ensue. Your response is greatly awaited by myself and the Australian public, who will be following this quest for the vaccine we feel entitled to.
Kind regards,
[YOUR NAME]
www.PorschesRescue.com
To learn more, please see another article on our website at this link: http://www.porschesrescue.com/information/article_008.html
