Let’s take this campaign to the next level
Hi all, we’ve just passed 1,787 signatures on our petition! Thank you so much for your support! Will you help me to get more support by sharing this petition with ten other people? If enough of us sign we can’t be ignored! Here’s a link to share https://www.change.org/p/honourable-doug-schweitzer-minister-of-justice-and-solicitor-general-deputy-house-leader-alberta-s-feral-domestic-rabbits-deserve-protection
Best,
Lynda W.
Ph. 587-353-3862
PS: Two more things: 1) Acknowledging the August 25, 2020 change in Justice Minister & Solicitor General of Alberta and 2) Sharing a July 2016 CTV News story.
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I wanted to also acknowledge that when Our Petition began, it was Honourable Doug Schweitzer who occupied the office of the Minister of Justice and Solicitor General of Alberta. Rest assured, when we do submit our petition, it will be addressed to the existing incumbent of said office. For your information, the Honourable Kelechi “Kaycee” Madu (Edmonton-South West electoral district) took office on August 25, 2020.
More from Wikipedia: Kelechi "Kaycee" Madu (born 1974) is a Nigerian-Canadian lawyer and politician who is the current Minister of Justice and Solicitor General of Alberta since August 25, 2020. He was elected in the 2019 Alberta general election to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta representing the electoral district of Edmonton-South West.[2] Doug Schweitzer (born 1978 or 1979) is a Canadian lawyer and politician who was elected in the 2019 Alberta general election to represent the electoral district of Calgary-Elbow in the 30th Alberta Legislature. He is a member of the United Conservative Party. On April 30, 2019, he was appointed to be the Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General of Alberta in the Executive Council of Alberta, and held that role until August 25, 2020 when he was shuffled to the new ministry of Jobs, Economy and Innovation.[2] Schweitzer ran unsuccessfully for the 2017 United Conservative Party leadership election. He was born in Kelowna, British Columbia.[3]
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I could not resist sharing something more about the "Problem" of feral domestic rabbits. Here is a JULY 2016 CTV News story which illustrates the REAL PROBLEM: Not enough is being done to solve this and the anthropocentric view prevails.
Feral rabbits a concern in some Calgary neighbourhoods | CTV News
Cynthia Roebuck
CTV News Calgary Senior Producer
@CTVCRoebuck Contact
Published Wednesday, July 20, 2016 4:23PM MDTLast Updated Wednesday, July 20, 2016 7:52PM MDT
Domestic rabbits are going feral and establishing large colonies, worrying some that Calgary might face a bunny boom like the one that plagued Canmore.
You see them all over town, not just the big jackrabbits indigenous to Alberta, but fuzzy little pet bunnies too.
“Every morning when we drive by on our way to work, there’s quite a few out there, and there were a few babies a couple of months ago,” said Carol Hoey, Calgary resident.
The bunnies are the offspring of domestic rabbits that have escaped or were released. You can recognize them by their smaller size and broad range of colours, unlike jackrabbits which are larger and have a grey or brown salt-and-pepper coat in the summer. Like all rabbits, they breed quickly, and that has some concerned.
“Last year they ate my tree and it died this year, so I'm not sure how I felt about that, and all the bunny poop all over the place,” said Christal McEwen, Auburn Bay resident.
It’s a matter that became a major problem for Canmore in 2011, with the town becoming overrun with feral domestic rabbits. Officials tried trapping and sterilizing hundreds of them but ran out of resources and had to resort to euthanizing some instead. It was a divisive issue for the town, one that many Calgarians would rather avoid.
“I feel like in the last couple of years there are a lot more than there used to be, so I don’t know if in the coming years if they’re going to keep doubling like rabbits kind of do, so I think in the next couple of years if they keep doubling, there might be a rabbit problem,” said McEwen.
The city does what it can when it comes to animals on the loose, but has a limited mandate.
“The Humane Society will take in some domestic animals, such as hamsters and rabbits, we don’t house them at this facility here, its just cats and dogs,” said Insp. Doug Anderson, Calgary Community Standards.
What the city can do is hand out fines for the release of an animal, and the cost can be steep.
“I believe it’s $500 if you release someone else’s animal, its $100 if you release your own,” said Anderson. ”But if someone released their own animal and it's something we felt was truly negligent or harmful to the animal, we can make it mandatory court and we can ask up to a $10,000 fine.”
So far, there is no city policy on the rabbits, so they are getting a reprieve.
Some of the places the feral bunnies have been seen are North Haven, Erlton and Auburn Bay.
END.