Inspiration from Victoria?
Detail:
Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia, Canada, is the latest to unveil a raft of proposed animal controls. Underlying these is a directive to make animal welfare issues a priority.
Now whereas our Animal Welfare Act is phrased in all-encompassing terms, the Victoria proposals are very detailed in some areas, such as prohibiting the abandonment of animals (logical if perhaps a bit over-stated), the keeping of a dog on a traffic island (what?! ) and exercising a dog from a vehicle or bicycle (I can understand vehicle, but bicycle?).
It also wants to impose requirements for the secure transport of pets in vehicles, and limiting the numbers of rabbits and chickens that people can keep.
However, two proposals struck me – it is considering making illegal the sale of unsterilised rabbits and prohibiting the sale of rabbits by pet stores.
Now I disagree with the latter. Pet shops have long been a traditional source for rabbits, and indeed all manner of small animals, and I really think that decision should be left to the individual retailer.
However, what I do think is a good idea is the compulsory sterilisation of all rabbits prior to sale.
At the moment, when someone buys a rabbit, they are advised to get the animal sterilised. And that’s as far as it goes.
But then what happens? Rescue centres are flooded with unwanted litters, in many instances the result of pet owners buying two “females”.
Introducing the compulsory sterilisation of all rabbits before sale would rapidly bring down the number of unwanted and abandoned rabbits in this country. Yes, it would make them more expensive at point of sale, and chances are retailers would not sell as many. However, it immediately implies that rabbits are being bought only by people who seriously want one, and not on a whim or because it’s Easter.
Higher cost invariably means a more considered approach.
Retailers would also stop being blamed for sexing animals incorrectly – it would not matter any more!
And let’s be honest. For retailers, the profit is not in the sale of the animal. It’s in the creature’s food, hay, bedding and housing and other accessories.
Yes, I for one would like to see this become law here in the UK. What do you think?
Now whereas our Animal Welfare Act is phrased in all-encompassing terms, the Victoria proposals are very detailed in some areas, such as prohibiting the abandonment of animals (logical if perhaps a bit over-stated), the keeping of a dog on a traffic island (what?! ) and exercising a dog from a vehicle or bicycle (I can understand vehicle, but bicycle?).
It also wants to impose requirements for the secure transport of pets in vehicles, and limiting the numbers of rabbits and chickens that people can keep.
However, two proposals struck me – it is considering making illegal the sale of unsterilised rabbits and prohibiting the sale of rabbits by pet stores.
Now I disagree with the latter. Pet shops have long been a traditional source for rabbits, and indeed all manner of small animals, and I really think that decision should be left to the individual retailer.
However, what I do think is a good idea is the compulsory sterilisation of all rabbits prior to sale.
At the moment, when someone buys a rabbit, they are advised to get the animal sterilised. And that’s as far as it goes.
But then what happens? Rescue centres are flooded with unwanted litters, in many instances the result of pet owners buying two “females”.
Introducing the compulsory sterilisation of all rabbits before sale would rapidly bring down the number of unwanted and abandoned rabbits in this country. Yes, it would make them more expensive at point of sale, and chances are retailers would not sell as many. However, it immediately implies that rabbits are being bought only by people who seriously want one, and not on a whim or because it’s Easter.
Higher cost invariably means a more considered approach.
Retailers would also stop being blamed for sexing animals incorrectly – it would not matter any more!
And let’s be honest. For retailers, the profit is not in the sale of the animal. It’s in the creature’s food, hay, bedding and housing and other accessories.
Yes, I for one would like to see this become law here in the UK. What do you think?
By:
Sandra
Date/time :
10/08/2010
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