University takes strong stance to deter people from abandoning pets

There are fewer burrows, a lot less road kill and only the odd pile of rabbit poop.

Only eight long-eared lagomorphs remained on the University of Victoria campus in the days before the March 1 deadline to have all rabbits trapped and relocated.

B次元官网网址淲e know where they are, what they look like, and weB次元官网网址檒l capture them,B次元官网网址� said Tom Smith, director of facilities management with the University of Victoria. B次元官网网址淭he significance of March 1, though, is if we find any new rabbits on campus, they will be removed and killed.B次元官网网址�

The university was home to a growing population of rabbits for two decades until last spring when a rabbit management plan was initiated. Last year, the school estimated there were upwards of 1,500 rabbits living on campus (although that number now appears to be high). About 100 of the animals were killed and another 867 moved into sanctuaries. The rest likely died from starvation or were killed by predators.

Animal advocates have asked the university to reconsider its position of killing any rabbits found after March 1. However, Smith says the school needs to send a strong message.

B次元官网网址淧eople would continue to abandon the rabbits and expect us to capture them and relocate them (if we didnB次元官网网址檛 kill them),B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淗opefully people arenB次元官网网址檛 looking for a place to have their rabbits killed B次元官网网址� which will be the reality of the situation if theyB次元官网网址檙e abandoned here.B次元官网网址�

The rabbits found on campus were sterilized and shipped to sanctuaries in Coombs, B.C., and Whitehouse, Texas, often with help from animal advocates such as Laura-Leah Shaw, who was part of the effort to drive hundreds of rabbits to Texas.

B次元官网网址淚 hope that Tom is saying that to discourage people from dropping them off and not because heB次元官网网址檚 serious,B次元官网网址� Shaw said. B次元官网网址淚f they want to stop people from dropping them off, we need to police the area. They need to put up proper signage and they need to work with local government to make stronger rules. Making an animal pay for a humanB次元官网网址檚 inability to be responsible is wrong.B次元官网网址�

Smith expects the last eight rabbits to be gone by next week.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e happy with what weB次元官网网址檝e been able to achieve. If people have concerns about us killing rabbits, the message then is to remind people not to release rabbits on our grounds,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hey shouldnB次元官网网址檛 be releasing them anywhere in our community or weB次元官网网址檒l see the same kind of problem again.B次元官网网址�