Myxo Vaccine for Australia Petition

[Roberta]

Hi Guys,

I know most of you are not in Australia but input from countries where the myxo vaccine is available will help our cause… 

We need the vaccine, they have recently done another release of both the myxo and calici virus into the wild population and as usual they are untouched whilst dozens of domestic bunnies are dying of myxo every week… It’s terrifying, thank heavens we can vaccinate against calici at least.

http://www.change.org/petitions/the-australian-government-allow-the-myxomatosis-vaccination-for-bunny-owners-in-australia?share_id=vNmyWqiHCY&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition 

[Deleted User]

SIGNED! Thanks Roberta – cheers!

[LongEaredLions]

Signed. Just for my Henry boy.

[Roberta]

If anyones having trouble try going to http://www.change.org petitions and type myxoma into the search box… It’s the only one there.

[MoveDiagonally]

Signed. Don’t understand why they don’t allow spayed/neutered domestics to get it. They can’t breed and can’t contribute to any wild population. I hope you guys are able to get it!

[Deleted User]

Thanks LEL and MD! And yes please – everyone get on board! I just had a read of the petition and people from Germany, etc., all over the world have already signed so it really does help no matter what part of the world you live in. Cheers and fingers crossed!

[bunnygirl]

Signed and shared with all my friends. Please share it around everyone!

[MissD]

Just signed it. So Myxo was released to kill wild rabbits? That’s so cruel. Is it common practice all over the world or just in Australia? So what’s the reason why they won’t let you vaccinate pet rabbits? I don’t get it.

[LBJ10]

Is this different from the one I signed before?

MissD, yep, rabbits were introduced in Australia and are now an invasive species. They have resorted to using biological control methods. The government doesn’t want people to use the vaccine for fear that it will somehow make the wild population immune. News flash: wild rabbits have already developed resistance and more virulent strains have been developed. Note I don’t live in Australia, I just remember having a discussion on here about myxo.

[Roberta]

Another handy link to a media site regarding legalizing buns in Queensland… Let’s make Henry legal !!! http://www.news-mail.com.au/news/battle-to-make-bunnies-legal-sees-no-love-from-gov/2276796/?ref=hs

[Bam]

I live in the agricultural centre of Sweden (most of the rest of Sweden is covered in spruce) and we’ve SO many wild rabbits. They are not considered a threat to farmers here. They die from myxo in big outbreaks every second-third year, despite the fact that we can (and responsible bunny owners do) vaccinate our pet rabbits against myxo.

[Deleted User]

Yes, this is a different petition to one you signed before LBJ. There are currently 2 petitions, the first one (which you already signed) is for Henry to become legal – Queensland (QLD) is the only state that bunnies are illegal ($44,000 fine if caught and the bunny destroyed) in the whole of Australia. So for anyone who hasn’t signed that one yet, please, please do….. I think they still need around 2,000 siggy’s before they can present it to Parliament.

The other petition (for this forum) is for the ‘Myxo Vaccine’ to be made available to ALL (except QLD of course) Australian PET bunnies. After reading how this dreadful disease KILLS rabbits that encounter it – it’s nothing but horrendous and CRUEL! Nothing should be allowed to die this way, but imagine a pet that you love like a child, or your dog or cat and watching it endure this cruel slow death is nothing but soul destroying knowing it can be avoided with a vaccine made available to everyone else all over the world. Please sign it for us Aussie’s and our baby bunnies.

And bam, the scientists have done there research here too into pet bunnies verses wild rabbits and hares and they have all said it makes no difference to the farmer’s and agriculture, so I know you can imagine our frustration. Thanks bam. (bloody politics and Government ‘thinking’ they know better).

[Chesters Mommy]

Signed!

[LBJ10]

I clicked on the link in Roberta’s first post. There is something wrong with the webpage. Everything is jumbled up and the text is overlapping other text. Has anyone else seen this?

AndHenry – Biological control methods can be very cruel. I love Rachel Carson, but I was horrified by what she said in Silent Spring about biological control methods. She talked about how they were a wonderful, natural way to control pests. What sounds good in theory doesn’t always do well in practice. I think the mxyo virus and bunnies in Australia is a good example of how these things can go terribly wrong. Whether it is a disease or an animal, there is always the risk of it harming unintended targets. Domestic bunnies in Australia are the unintended targets. Not that intentionally causing wild bunnies to suffer is okay. I think there are probably more humane ways to deal with the feral population, which is a problem. Sorry, I have to take a biologist’s point of view on this. Every time I think about what has happened in Hawaii, I feel myself shudder. There are tons of invasive species there, some of which were introduced in an attempt to control another introduced species. And yeah, that didn’t work out for them very well.

[Author]

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