- Target:
- The Honorable Tony Burke, Parliament House, Canberra.
- Region:
- Australia
Myxomatosis is a cruel and painful disease which infects rabbits. It was deliberately introduced to Australia in 1938, with a full scale biological warfare release in 1950 in an attempt to reduce wild rabbit populations.
This aggressive virus is regularly re-released into our environment by humans using laboratory infected carriers such as the rabbit flea. Clearly infected wild rabbits from one area are also taken from the wild and dumped into a new area to further broadcast the virus.
This disease is spread mainly by blood sucking insects, and once infected the host experiences a prolonged and agonizing death. Symptoms start with with lumps and puffiness around the eyes and genitals. It then progresses to acute conjunctivitis and then in many cases, blindness. The rabbit becomes listless, looses appitite, develops a fever and can no longer breathe through its nose due to the swelling in the face area. Diarrhea, convulsions and laboured breathing are common as the virus takes hold on its victim.
Secondary bacterial infections soon occur which causes pneumonia and pusy inflamation of the lumps in the skin. Additional effects include internal hemorrhaging and even renal failure. Death on average takes an agonizing 14 days but can take as long as weeks unless the animal is put out of this needless misery.
There are other forms of wild rabbit control available such as Calici Virus also known as RHD (which has a vaccine in Australia). Calici is listed as second only to Myxi-yet this vaccine is readily available, and boosters are needed yearly.
Due to the natural immunity already developed in wild rabbits, the current "kill rate" from Myxi is down past 50%.
Our Domestic bunnies HAVE NO IMMUNITY and all infected WILL DIE even with the most intensive nursing and with the current inadequate treatments available.
The Vaccine for Myxomatosis also needs yearly boosters to be effective. We can see clear sucsess of the Vaccine in the UK and Europe where its legal and available.
By signing this petition you are helping to make a difference. Vaccination saves lives in all species, including ours.
Together we can make a difference.
Please visit this petition's home page and website at:
http://www.freewebs.com/nellythumper/
Here you can find out about our personal experience with this terrible and preventable disease. You can sign our guest book too if you'd like, contact me or make a suggestion to help our beloved pet bunnies.
This campaign is 100% NON profit.
The Vaccine is PRICELESS!
*THANKYOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT*
To the Honorable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales in Parliament Assembled.
This Petition of Australian and International Supporters of the "Make the Vaccine for Myxomatosis Legal" campaign call on you to help us end the suffering for our beloved pet rabbits and their Families hearts by making the Vaccine legal and available.
We draw to your attention that the current laws prevent Australians from having access to the much needed Vaccine to save our pets from this preventable and deliberate disease. The Vaccine is currently illegal in Australia due to fears the immunity the Vaccine provides "might" be transmitted into the feral rabbit population. However, there is no hard evidence of this.
The suffering, pain and heartache caused to pets and their Families by Myxomatosis can be simply avoided by allowing domestic rabbit owners access to the Vaccine.
*PREVENTION IS THE ONLY CURE*
We urge the Government to review and change current regulations that prevent Australians from accessing this much needed Vaccine to protect our beloved pet rabbits from the deadly Myxomatosis virus.
We therefore respectfully ask the House to make the Vaccine to immunize domestic rabbits from Myxomatosis legal and available to pet Owners through licensed Veterinary Practices in Australia.
We urge the Government to review and change the current regulations that prevent Australians from accessing this much needed Vaccine to protect our beloved pet rabbits from the deadly Myxomatosis virus.
With the Governments help in changing the law, together we can make a difference and make this Country a kinder and more compassionate place.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Help make the Myxomatosis Vaccine Legal in Australia petition to The Honorable Tony Burke, Parliament House, Canberra. was written by NellyThumper and is in the category Animal Welfare at GoPetition.