I am a resident of Queensland, the only state in the entire world where owning a rabbit is illegal. This law is perplexing and heartbreaking for many like me who believe that rabbits make the most wonderful pets for both children and adults due to their kind and gentle nature.

In Australia alone, there are an estimated 2.5 million pet rabbits (RSPCA AUSTRALIA). However in Queensland alone, they are deemed as pests under the Land Protection act 2002. This act was made over a decade ago. There are many ways to mitigate the risk of over-breeding and that is simply implementing strict neutering laws for pet rabbits. 

The governments sole argument is that rabbits will somehow escape from their homes, breed with wild rabbits already present in the area, and then cause damage to the QLD farmer's livelyhoods by ripping through the states vegetation. Not only is this a gross misunderstanding of the rabbits existence and way of living, but it is completely unsupported by any scientific evidence.

"Paul Westaway, state co-ordinator of the Pet Industry Association of Australia, said in 2003, the Pet Industry Association was invited by the State Government to provide a submission about domestic-bred rabbits. "We put together an 84-page document, consulting environmental scientists, and we uncovered so many facts that refuted their arguments," he said. 

"Domestic-type rabbits will not breed with feral rabbits. In 1998, for an experiment, the CSIRO released domestic rabbits with feral rabbits and 12 months later there were none left. 

"Even the Government's independent consultant, Bob Carstens, concluded he could see no reason why Queensland should not fall into line with the rest of the states on this issue, but the minister Stephen Robertson announced the status quo would be maintained." 

"Westaway said: "Two years after Western Australia decided to allow pet rabbits, they did an environmental impact study which concluded the impact was nil. 

"The benefit of having rabbits as pets is huge for the economy – for vets, for people who sell accessories . . . we're talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for the pet industry."


It's time for us to reconsider our stance on this issue and align ourselves with the rest of the world by allowing these harmless animals into our homes as pets. Let's make Queensland a place where every creature has its rightful place and every citizen can enjoy their choice of companionship without fear or guilt.

Please sign this petition if you believe in making domestic rabbits legal in Queensland households!