California Residents Alert
The drive to get letters of to the State Vet asking for protections is moving along at a faster rate than we have seen in regards to any proactive steps to safeguard rabbits from RHD. If you missed the last update you also missed the background work on this issue. Not to worry, it's all OnlineYou can write your letter here on our site and we will print and send it you - Click Here
Want more info re the letter? Read on...
Several people have already sent out letters to Dr. Breitmeyer. In addition, we have contacted HSUS’s West Coast Regional Office, inquiring about the effectiveness of letter writing campaigns. We were told that twenty five letters generally grab the attention of legislators, by Mike Reader Director of this HSUS office. To be effective, letters should not be the carbon copy type, rather personally written and snail mailed. In addition, we were offered assistance in dealing with the CDFA, (California Department of Food and Agriculture), the department which Dr. Breitmeyer works within by Mr. Reader. Mr. Reader actually spent a good fifteen minutes asking questions and receiving complicated answers regarding RHD, a first in outreach efforts to other orgs. The normal lack of interest was definitely absent. As was the normal lack of action on the part of rabbit people. A selection of excerpts from letters that have been sent off can be viewed HereOur main purpose is to ask that rabbits not be grouped with livestock. This is in the interest of the majority of rabbit people. The only opposition to blocking a reclassification of rabbits as livestock has come from those who breed for laboratories. We believe this is motivated by a desire on the part of these breeders to give APHIS full authority to control RHD and other disease pathogens. There are other ways to achieve this goal, if it is in fact a worthy one. Given APHIS’s track record, we’re not to excited about their methods of control. The Coalition believes that blanket eradication before testing is unacceptable. Especially in light of the reasoning not to allow vaccine usage because antibody to disease found through tests would become confused with antibody response to vaccines. They are not testing before eradication to begin with, and the tests they are using after eradication or death or extremely unreliable. To insure that federal agencies can effectively protect rabbits from RHD, one only has to look to the AWA, Animal Welfare Act. The AWA specifically offers protection to laboratory rabbits. We believe that protection from disease pathogens, especially the most dangerous virus on the planet, RHD, should be included in the items rabbits deserve protection from.
Show breeders and companion rabbit people have traditionally been opposed to the classification of rabbits as livestock if for no other reason than zoning codes. This has been a very consistent common view.
Secondly, we are asking that California borders be closed to rabbits, rabbit products, and products derived from hares from countries where RHD or EBHV, (European Brown Hare Virus), are endemic. The only open opposition to this came from Rabbit Industry Council/VHDInfo.com/Showbunny’s Pamela Alley in 1999. Ms. Alley changed her position in the winter of 2001/2002 to one that called for the observation of OIE, Office of International Epizooties.
Coalition members with an ear to other orgs have indicated that "dwarf" breeders may also be opposed, because stock improvement may still be sought through imports from England. Though no formal statements have been issued from Lionhead rabbit breeders, we suspect that they too may be effected by a ban on imports.
Our response to opposition is our recognition that we can’t please all the people all of the time.
Finally, a few have asked the California State Veterinarians Office to provide assistance through research. Though this was not one of our original goals, it seems a worthy one. In fact the U.C Davis connection to the Laboratory for Calicivirus Studies is strong. Perhaps we could get funding to ascertain the current level of Calicivirus infection in California animals, including rabbits. Ideally rabbits, and other animals, should be tested for both Vesiviruses and Sapoviruses. Sapo because it is the Calicivirus group that some think shows the closest genetic link to RHD. Vesiviruses because they have historically had the greatest impact on animal health.
In addition, if there is a Caliciviral incubation ground, California would be it. More Calicivirus infection has been found in California than in any other state. We realize that more tests have been conducted here as well. At the same time, it was California which saw the first outbreak of VESV, Vesicular Exanthema of Swine Virus. It was also the last place where a recognized outbreak of VESV, with full VESV like symptoms, occurred. We still do not know if immunity to RHD is created by antibodies to Vesiviruses. Ascertaining levels of infection to these viruses would be a first step in understanding how RHD would affect rabbits here. It’s important to remember that the percentage of deaths caused by RHD in the Utah outbreak was only 24%. By the time the USDA arrived at the Illinois site, the rabbits there had quit dieing. Why? Requests for research should probably be aimed towards elected officials. The State Vet’s office does not have the authority to designate funds for research. They do have the ability to request funds. If legislators asked the State Vet’s office if funding was warranted, how will the office respond? Let’s give them some realities to think about so that their response is an educated one.
In case you are wondering what happened to our proposed study regarding the same issues, we are still working on it. A few more i’s to dot and t’s to cross.
We are still calling for action to protect wildlife. Please see Wildlife for more info.
SLO County
In addition, we are now writing letters to Northern Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County’s elected representative in the State Assembly; Assembly Person Abe Maldonado. We hope that assistance from his office will assist us in achieving our goals. To see if you live in this district please see; California Assembly District 33 MapIf you think you can get twenty five letters to an Assembly Person in your district, but need to define the district please see; California Assembly Districts Maps
California is often seen as a frontier state. Ideas and trends are often born here. We have a chance to send a strong message to other States and APHIS. Let’s Not Ignore It!
To make it easy, you can write your letter here on our site and we will print and send it you - Click Here
--Bertrand Russell 1872 - 1970
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