Vet must apply to perform rabbit vasectomies at UVic

By Judith Lavoie, Times Colonist
April 8, 2009

A local veterinarian will have to snip through red tape before he is allowed to administer vasectomies to rabbits at the University of Victoria.

Questions about the ethics of the process have put a temporary halt to Nick Shaw's plans to provide free vasectomies to the burgeoning rabbit population at the university.

Shaw, owner of Shaw Pet Hospitals, had hoped to start the surgeries on male rabbits before the spring mating season kicks into high gear.

But the rabbits are feral and come under the Wildlife Act, meaning they cannot be moved more than one kilometre or kept for more than 24 hours without a permit from the provincial Environment Ministry, said Deb Sexsmith, manager of business services for the university's vice-president of finance and operations.

Also, before he submits a written proposal that will be studied by several university committees, Shaw wants to remove about 10 rabbits so he can test the procedure for speed and efficiency. But that amounts to research, Sexsmith said. "As a university we have to be very careful about the ethical treatment of animals and research proposals would have to be examined."

Shaw said he plans to go ahead with the vasectomy trial with the help of Jeff Krieger of Alternative Wildlife Solutions, who has a provincial permit and who has been asked to help homeowners in the area cope with the rabbits' voracious appetite for garden plants.

"He's going to bring us some bunnies. We're not planning on harming them," Shaw said. "We are just trying to determine the fastest and most efficient technique."

Rabbit vasectomies are rarely performed. Owners of domestic varieties usually prefer to neuter their pets. From the rabbit point of view, a vasectomy is preferable, since patients keep their genitalia and remain territorial, chasing out other males, although they are unable to impregnate female rabbits.

Shaw plans to fundraise to underwrite some of the costs of the procedures.

The rabbit population explosion at the university, created partly by people dumping domestic pets, causes inbreeding and results in disease. The vasectomies will help ensure a healthy population, said Krieger.

more: www.rabbitadvocacy.com