MMC poster and press release re: PACT abuse case

Following on from Charlotte's thread re: PACT, Helen from MMC has produced a press release and poster to as part of a campaign -

Rather than cope with the fallout we need to make some changes in the way rabbits are supplied and purchased, and put a stop to this type of problem. If these rescue cases involved dogs or cats there would probably be a public outcry. Rabbits are no different, yet much of the public is totally unaware of the abhorrent conditions some rabbits are kept and bred in. I just hope we do not have to have a Panorama style expose to prove just how bad the rabbit welfare problem is here is Britain. As one of our celebrity campaign supporters, Toyah Willcox, puts it; ‘rabbits are beautiful, responsive and intelligent creatures. They enjoy company and revel in being given attention’.”

Please consider forwarding these to your vets, other professionals in animals care and welfare, put them on FB, Tweet folk and/or other bunny owners who would like to support this.
The press release is here**warning, upsetting images**
and the poster is here

Hear hear.

I reckon a lot of people who are unaware, would be up in arms if they knew about this. It needs bringing to the attention of the wider public, and especially the situation that the sanctuary are now in. But definitely the cause of it - this should not be going on at all. What I cant understand is why people go to pet shops when there are so many homeless rabbits already? We only have to look on local notice/advert boards to see "home wanted for bunny now Im bored of it" written on cards. And who in their right mind would want to eat rabbit meat when the poor animal was carrying infections and diseases? The next person who smirks at me about rabbit stew, will be gleefully informed about this, and I look forward to reeling off the list that has syphillis, pasturella, rat-bite infection, myxi etc on it.

Definitely going to try and spread the word!! How awful are those photos...

I've exhausted all avenues on twitter - spent a few hours tweeting to celebs and anyone who may or may nnot be interested!

Grin wrote:I've exhausted all avenues on twitter - spent a few hours tweeting to celebs and anyone who may or may nnot be interested!

brilliant I know the campaign is going cross-forums, which is great.
I forgot to mention FB and twitter (I don't use them, so don't think about them!) , but yes, the more tweets etc get to people the better

I'm taking Thistle to the vets today, so I'll see if they will put up a poster in the surgery for people to see

Excellent will start getting these out on the social network. We have to do something.

And Corrina -

Just to mention - i'm @grinseeker on twitter and there is a hashtag for this too #horsford.

Here are the facebook campaigns:
https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70956252032&ref=ts

&

https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70956252032&ref=ts#!/pages/Help-The-Horsford-Rabbits/183990841619500

Brilliant, thanks for adding those, you're a star

i'm @grinseeker on twitter and there is a hashtag for this too #horsford

I haven't a clue what language you're talking in I feel so retarded

Grrr I can't get on facebook atm it won't load frustrating! lol..I'll have to post some stuff later on there!

Added you Grin. I don't understand hash tags.. can you explain?

FB won't load for me either at mo.

Will get on to it straight after work.

Lets hope we can all make a difference!!

Let battle commence!

Jay wrote:Brilliant, thanks for adding those, you're a star

i'm @grinseeker on twitter and there is a hashtag for this too #horsford

I haven't a clue what language you're talking in I feel so retarded

You are retarded x

Aside from here, I know no other people inteterested in bunnies at all... So I have noone to send the link to...

However, its a great idea to spread the word, its a really well put together piece. And I do wish people would respond to rabbit cruelty the same way they do for dogs & cats... I don't see why that just because they're smaller they're somehow less important..

I'll forward that on to my vet.

Charlotte, I cant wait until I get the opportunity to say to someone "Oooh no, the reason I would never eat rabbit meat, is because the animals that are bred for this purpose are kept in squalor, and infected with rabbit syphillis, bacterial infections etc. Would you like me to email you some pictures?". In my snootiest voice!!

And....bloomin good effort everyone!! I hope this sorry story goes nationwide.

What can I do to help? I am completely confused by the jargon though, retart number 2 LOL!!!

jO XX

Corrina wrote:Charlotte, I cant wait until I get the opportunity to say to someone "Oooh no, the reason I would never eat rabbit meat, is because the animals that are bred for this purpose are kept in squalor, and infected with rabbit syphillis, bacterial infections etc. Would you like me to email you some pictures?". In my snootiest voice!!

And....bloomin good effort everyone!! I hope this sorry story goes nationwide.

FB has been down on and off for much of the day.

Hashtags are searchable and the topic can be 'trended' and tagged so we know how popular the topic is.

No-one is retarded - it is tricky getting the hang of it. I describe it as facebook status updates (no games etc - no ability to like/dslike status updates) and the aim is to share info - so unless you use direct messages, everyone can see convo's and your word! I've been on there a good while now and this is the only time i've used retweeting (sharing someone elses status update) or hashtags.

Same i am terribly confused but i just forwarded it onto my vet and hope they understand it better than me lol

Printed off a poster and took it to the vets with me! They said they'd put it up
Really pleased with myself, cus I'm really shy and nearly bottled it asking but my OH made me stop and go up to the desk on the way out
She didn't really ask what it was about but said they would put it up for me so that's good...when I can get on facebook I'll fill the news feed with stuff....I know a few ppl who own rabbits.
Also considering asking in a shop up the road which sells pet food to put up a poster, but we'll see!

OMG this is horrific!
I've joined the groups on FB and will do some Tweets too.
Will print off the poster and see if my vets will put it up for me. Did wonder if good ol' P@H would be interested in one but I'm guessing not
Was actually going to ring them up to find out how much they do know about where their rabbits come from, as you may remember my darling Shadow is a P@H bun before I really knew enough about rescues and what not! So I'd like to know where he came from, didn't know how to start the conversation though, what do you think? Also I still buy his bedding, hay from there but think if they aren't getting from responsible breeders (and I don't imagine they are) then I'll be boycotting them!
E x

AprilGirl wrote:OMG this is horrific!
I've joined the groups on FB and will do some Tweets too.
Will print off the poster and see if my vets will put it up for me. Did wonder if good ol' P@H would be interested in one but I'm guessing not
Was actually going to ring them up to find out how much they do know about where their rabbits come from, as you may remember my darling Shadow is a P@H bun before I really knew enough about rescues and what not! So I'd like to know where he came from, didn't know how to start the conversation though, what do you think? Also I still buy his bedding, hay from there but think if they aren't getting from responsible breeders (and I don't imagine they are) then I'll be boycotting them!
E x

Ahh I got Luna from p@H in the adoption section, but she was originally for sale, I do wander where her parents are or were ! I got Thistle from a breeders though, but had him dropped off here so I don't know the conditions he was kept in but they seemed really nice and he was and still is in good nick !
Could be worth ringing up and finding out about it, I should imagine the worst that could happen is they say they don't know, in which case you can explain to them about the campaign perhaps...or possibly write them a letter?

Argh I still can't get on FB can only get on it on my Blackberry. As soon as I can get on will post up this link. Going to see if my vetts will put a poster up.

Regarding the [email=P@H]P@H[/email] thing, I had an interesting chat with a member of staff there a while back. I don't know where the rabbits come from but I do know that the rabbits that they cannot sell as babies end up in the back of the store and then into their adoption center. The staff member said that there were 10 males out back in cages that had been removed from the shop front due to mounting and fighting with the other males.

It would seem that their adoption center is just really an outlet for the rabbits they can't sell and for customers who buy a pair of bunnies and aren't informed of the basic facts of neutering so they end up bringing them back for rehoming.

Last time i went there they were offering £20 off neutering if your rabbit came from the adoption center, the two males they had in there were spraying everywhere and needed to be fixed asap before they started fighting as they were a bonded pair. The staff members aid that the charity cannot afford to fix them cos they don't have the money even though [email=P@H]P@H[/email] do.
I wonder what happens to the rabbits that don't get bought in time to be fixed and consequently fight?
I wish id asked where the rabbits come from in the first place. The staff member did agree that people should be made more aware of the need to neuter their bunnies.

When I took Rosie in for her spey there was a really nice lady who had brought in her two does for speying as they had started fighting. They arrived in two seperate [email=P@H]P@H[/email] boxes (even thought they were small lionlops that could have shared one box) so I assume she had bought them at [email=P@H]P@H[/email] . She hadn't been told this may happen and didn't really know a lot about rabbit behaviour or vaccinations (she did by the time she left ) Fortunately for them she decided to spey them to preserve their bond else one of them would have ended up in the adoption center, just like my Vince did after being told that he was to be kept as a lone rabbit as he fights with other buns. I think Faline and Hazel would disagree

sorry about the rant!