[ad_1]
They called it “sharing the love” – a plot to spread the rabbit calicivirus to a rival breeder. TONY WALL investigates skulduggery in the bunny community.
Before she died of cancer last year, Matamata rabbit fancier Lorraine Price wrote a confessional letter to breeder Janine Sax.
One night a couple of years earlier, Price wrote, she had crept on to Sax’s property near Tauranga and interfered with the rabbit hutches.
She left soft toys in the play pens, drew dollar signs in the grass with Roundup, spread laxative powder on the cages and left a dead chicken outside the converted shed where Sax lived.
READ MORE:
* Neighbours at war: ‘You gave my rabbits laxatives’
* Pet owners warned over calicivirus rabbit cull in Christchurch red zone
* New rabbit calicivirus found in Waikato following testing
“It was a sick prank,” wrote Price, who was an executive member of the Rabbit Council of New Zealand (RCNZ), the stated aim of which was to protect the interests of all New Zealand rabbit breeders. Sax was not a member.
“I am really sorry for what I did, it was really mean and nasty and I regret it deeply,” Price wrote, saying she hadn’t been thinking straight because of medication she was taking.
But there was more.
Christel Yardley/Stuff
Lorraine Price, who admitted a night-time raid on Janine Sax’s property, has since died.
“Have you, in the last 12 months, had rabbits die from RCD?” Price asked, referring to the rabbit calicivirus disease which causes the animals to die painfully from internal bleeding. It was illegally introduced by farmers in 1997 and is now widespread throughout New Zealand.
“If you have – I know where the virus came from and who was involved in the organisation of spreading it.”
And then she dropped a bombshell: “Joanne McMillan organised for RCD to be spread on your property.”
McMillan was president of the RCNZ at the time; she and others had been feuding with Sax since Sax began breeding in 2016.
Mark Taylor/Stuff
Joanne McMillan, former president of the Rabbit Council of NZ, confessed to her role in a conspiracy to spread the rabbit calicivirus.
Price explained that she had become a “total believer” in McMillan’s cause, which was, according to her, to have Sax’s breeding operation shut down and Sax placed in mental health care.
In January 2018, McMillan had spoken publicly about how RCD had got into her rabbitry in Rotorua, killing several of her stock.
“She lost a number of rabbits, and she didn’t think it fair that she should have RCD and not you,” Price wrote. “So she organised for one of the infected carcasses to be delivered to one of your neighbours so that they could release the virus around your rabbits. She called it ‘spreading the love’.
“But it was not very loving. And was done more than once to ensure your rabbits were affected. A slow and painful death that they didn’t deserve and which I find sickening.”
supplied
Charlotte, one of Janine Sax’s mini lops, at her property near Tauranga.
The shocking revelations were the culmination of more than two years of warring between Sax, her neighbour and rival fanciers, which included allegations of theft and mistreatment of rabbits, online bullying and even death threats.
Police were called multiple times, complaints were laid with various agencies and the parties took each other to court. Who knew rabbit breeding could be so nasty?
‘HATE PAGE’
Sax, 42, studied law at Otago University and was a top triathlete, finishing ninth among women at the ITU World Long Distance championships in Las Vegas in 2011.
Around 2014 she started rescuing wild rabbits that had been caught by cats and in 2016 began breeding under the name Bunnyton, producing specialty breeds such as mini lops, jersey woolys, netherland dwarves and english angoras.
She became a target of rival breeders, who accused her of spreading RCD, letting her bunnies run loose and mate with wild rabbits, passing off cross-breeds as champion stock and running a “bunny mill”.
Tony Wall/Stuff
One of Sax’s rabbits, an english angora.
A Facebook page was formed. The administrators, including McMillan, claimed they were just trying to warn the public but Sax (who declined to be photographed because of fears for her safety) says it was a hate page spreading malicious falsehoods designed to incite harassment.
“I was getting death threats all the time – for ‘being cruel to animals’ and ‘wrecking the breeding community’,” she says.
“I’ve had up to 200 abusive messages a day through Trade Me, through texting. I’ve been called on my Saturday night to be told I’m a c….”
Citing the Harmful Digital Communications Act, Sax went to court seeking the removal of the site – the administrators agreed to take it down by consent.
Meanwhile, Sax had also been feuding with her neighbour, Melody Campbell. The pair shared a driveway and lived in converted sheds just a few metres apart, surrounded by kiwifruit orchards.
They had been friends but fell out in 2017, each accusing the other of harassment and calling police on one another.
Sax believed Campbell’s cats and dog were harassing and killing her rabbits– Campbell accused Sax of taking her cats.
Sax admits she caged one of Campbell’s cats when she caught it killing a rabbit, and had Campbell’s labrador impounded after it came on to her property and frightened her bunnies, causing them to run into the sides of their cages. The dog was later returned.
Campbell did not respond to requests for comment. She has applied for a restraining order against Sax and moved away from the region.
Tony Wall/Stuff
One of Sax’s rabbit hutches on her property near Tauranga.
She had joined an anti-Sax Facebook group called Saxaphobia, which McMillan and Price also belonged to.
After her attack of conscience, Price shared some of the group’s messages with Sax.
They show the women talking about “keeping the pressure” on – they’d been in touch with police and mental health services.
“She [Sax] hasn’t quite yet reached the stage that they can come and take her away but it’s getting close…we need to keep in contact with all the authorities. So it seems that we need to keep the pressure cooker on as she’s about to blow,” one post read.
The group also began plotting Price’s night-time raid. McMillan suggested she write “troll” in the grass with Roundup.
Price said the plan was to cruise up the driveway with her lights off. “Just need to check if there are cameras there. Or gate alarms or electric fences – f… I hate those things,” she wrote.
When Sax discovered the vandalism the following morning, in November 2017, she called police, saying she feared for her safety. But it wasn’t until January 2019, when Price went into the Matamata police station and confessed, that the identity of the offender was revealed.
Police later wrote to Sax saying Price was “very much sorry for her actions” and hadn’t been charged.
“I have warned her for being unlawfully on your property and a warning has been entered against her name,” the officer wrote. “I haven’t trespassed her at this time as I believe her when she says she will not return uninvited to your home.”
Price died last August.
“I SHOULD HAVE HAD MORE SELF-CONTROL”
In January 2018, McMillan told the other members of the Saxaphobia Facebook group that she had been hit with RCD.
“Why wasn’t it Bunnyton?” one person posted.
Campbell wrote that she would “love Joanne [McMillan] to pop over and share the love, or I could pop to Rotovegas and pick up some love”.
Tony Wall/Stuff
One of Sax’s rabbits.
McMillan wrote: “At the moment the gift is on ice until I am no longer a suspect. That is, I am not really proud. It goes against everything I should be doing as an RCNZ member and president.”
McMillan, who is a senior legal secretary, is now out of the breeding business, and keeps just one house rabbit. She resigned from the rabbit council after her activities were revealed, posting an apology on its Facebook page and calling her actions “disgusting and unforgivable”.
She looks back on that time with shame, but tells Stuff that Sax had driven her over the edge with legal threats and court action. Sax had even contacted her employer, she says, at which point she sought a restraining order. (The court issued a reciprocal order, that both women stay away from each other.)
“I was in a terrible place,” McMillan says. “She was still continuing to harass me and still going through this battle in the court … and badmouthing me. You get to a point where you just can’t take it any more. I should have had more self-control.”
McMillan says the arrival of RCD at her property had been devastating.
“It’s terrible, it’s the worst thing that could ever happen. You go out into your shed and there’s dead rabbits, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it.
“It’s a bit like Covid-19, you can do all the right things and still they die.”
She admits she met Campbell on the side of the road in Rotorua and handed her the carcass of a tan rabbit that had recently died of RCD.
What was she thinking? “I’ve got to stop this woman somehow. I wasn’t mentally in the right place.”
Price’s night raid on Sax’s property was “just to play with her mind and drive her crazy”, McMillan says. It was Price’s goal to send Sax mad, not hers, she says.
She and Price fell out after the latter came clean, claiming she’d been under McMillan’s influence and was bullied by her.
McMillan says Price turned on her “because she didn’t get what she wanted with the rabbit council. I never bullied her – she was a very good, very manipulative and convincing liar”.
McMillan admits that when she was chatting in the Facebook group, “you kind of get wound up into the moment and things get said and done that shouldn’t be said and done.
“I told the police that I said ‘I have a friend who’s got gang affiliations, they’ll sort her out’. Clearly it didn’t happen, but I said it, in the heat of the moment.
“My son’s got a slug gun. I think I said ‘I’ll take his gun with me’, something like that. I’ve never shot the thing and I don’t even think we’ve got pellets for it. [Police] understood it was… all bravado.”
She says she co-operated with police, and was told she had not committed any crime. “It’s probably not very moral.”
Police say they have closed their investigation.
Despite the women saying on Facebook that the “love has been shared” several times, McMillan now claims that Campbell didn’t actually spread the virus.
“I was led to believe it was spread but since talking to Melody she’s assured me it wasn’t, and the reason she told me it was, was because she didn’t want to disappoint me.
“I understand [the carcass] was put in the freezer and it was thrown away.”
‘TRANSPARENT BREEDER’
Sax doesn’t believe that. She says a couple of rabbits died mysteriously around the same time, and tests by Landcare Research – seen by Stuff – came back a few months later positive for RCD.
supplied
Sax says this rabbit, Felicity, died of RCD a few days after it was spread on her property.
Sax says the virus cost her thousands of dollars for sanitising and vaccinations. She has moved her rabbits to a new area and spaced them 50 metres apart.
“I guess I was fortunate in that the bunnies were so spread out it didn’t spread like wildfire like it did with other breeders because they keep their bunnies in tiny little cubbyholes.”
Sax says it’s hurtful that she’s been accused of breeding “ugly mutts”. She admits that some of her rabbits have escaped and bred with wild rabbits in the past, but says she’s never been deceitful about the lineage of her stock. Cross-breeds have been advertised as such.
“I’m the most transparent breeder in the world because all of my litters coming through are posted online… and people when they get their pedigree can look it up.”
She says the rumours that she had RCD in the early days of her operation – spread on the Facebook “hate group” – came about because an autopsy of a rabbit found the animal had a pinkish liver, a sign of the disease.
“We don’t think I did have it in the end, because it didn’t spread in the way the calicivirus would – the deaths weren’t consistent enough with the virus.”
She is still waiting on some results, but is hopeful that she’s now clear of RCD.
Sax says the way she’s been treated by the rival breeders – who she calls “the trolls” – is “disgusting and unfair” and police didn’t do their job, essentially leaving her a “sitting duck”.
“I’ve done the best that I could against a torrent of harassment.”
She says her rabbits are her “children” and she would never do anything to harm them.
Dogs and feral cats continue to attack and kill her animals, she says.
“Cats are pretty much unstoppable once they get the taste for rabbits.”
She recently caught a cat which killed one of her mini lops, Miss Polly, and it was put down by animal control.
supplied
A feral cat caught attacking Sax’s rabbits. It was later put down.
She has started a petition calling on the Western Bay of Plenty District Council to make it an offence for anyone to come on to private property “or allow their cats and dogs to do the same”.
She says the attacks on her reputation – including her customers being contacted directly – have affected her business.
“Bunnyton is about to fall over, but I know it’s salvageable – somehow we’re going to have to claw out of this.”
Sarah Freeman, the new president of the rabbit council, distanced the council from McMillan and Price’s actions.
“The council would like it known that the alleged actions of the parties concerned were not in any way known, condoned or encouraged by, nor were they acting on behalf of, the Rabbit Council of New Zealand. Any alleged behaviour was conducted privately.”
Former breeder Ben Ellis, of Christchurch, who quit the rabbit council to form a rival group, the now-defunct National Rabbit Association (NRA), says the “ludicrous” behaviour of the feuding parties has harmed the rabbit breeding industry.
supplied
Ben Ellis judges a show rabbit. He quit the Rabbit Council of NZ because of the “drama”.
It was a competitive community, he says.
“Whenever you bring out people who are passionate and competitive anywhere, it’s going to bring the crazy out in them.”
Ellis says the industry has gone downhill in recent years.
“Because of the small gene pool in New Zealand, the quality of the stock has deteriorated. All our top breeders have been hit by calicivirus – it’s just so hard to come back from that.”
A South Island breeder who goes by the online pseudonym Daisy Taylor to avoid some of the nastiness of the community, says she has bought rabbits from Sax and has found her professional.
“She provides pedigree certificates and you can actually trace back a minimum of three generations with her.”
She said the online attacks on Sax were “appalling”.
“I had one person message me out of the blue and tell me negative things about her – they never have a shred of evidence, they never provide anything.”
Taylor says it’s driven by insecurity and jealousy.
“The standard practice is to undercut and try and run smear campaigns against their competitors.”
[ad_2]
Source link
11353 648312I believe this site contains some quite fantastic data for every person : D. 22520
638910 792581Whoa! This weblog looks just like my old 1! Its on a completely different subject but it has pretty much the same layout and style. Outstanding choice of colors! 361907
894894 656382Often the Are normally Weight reduction program is unquestionably an low-priced and flexible weight-reduction plan product modeled on individuals seeking out shed some pounds combined with at some point maintain a far healthier your life. la weight loss 48498
763589 898172Hi there, just became aware of your weblog through Google, and found that its truly informative. Im gonna watch out for brussels. Ill be grateful if you continue this in future. A lot of individuals will likely be benefited from your writing. Cheers! 909039
225824 22555Maintain all the articles coming. I adore reading by way of your points. Cheers. 270383
104924 131808I gotta favorite this internet site it seems handy . 69078
OpusMining – Best Cloud mining platform
I really like it when folks get together and share ideas. Keenan Scroger
You completed some nice points there. I did a search on the issue and found most folks will consent with your blog. Hunter Bilotta
The OpusMining is engaged in cloud mining provision while using the technology, developed by the experts in IT and cryptocurrencies field. The main product idea is effective disparate computing resources appliance. We tend to unite investors, including newcomers, on a single platform together. Our customers’ trust is based on obvious evidence: they honestly get their income every day.
OpusMining – Best Cloud mining platform
The OpusMining is engaged in cloud mining provision while using the technology, developed by the experts in IT and cryptocurrencies field. The main product idea is effective disparate computing resources appliance. We tend to unite investors, including newcomers, on a single platform together. Our customers’ trust is based on obvious evidence: they honestly get their income every day.
Having read this I believed it was rather informative. I appreciate you taking the time and energy to put this content together. Kyle Ciulla
IPStress.wtf – BEST IP STRESSER
OpusMining – Best Cloud mining platform
The OpusMining is engaged in cloud mining provision while using the technology, developed by the experts in IT and cryptocurrencies field. The main product idea is effective disparate computing resources appliance. We tend to unite investors, including newcomers, on a single platform together. Our customers’ trust is based on obvious evidence: they honestly get their income every day.
The OpusMining is engaged in cloud mining provision while using the technology, developed by the experts in IT and cryptocurrencies field. The main product idea is effective disparate computing resources appliance. We tend to unite investors, including newcomers, on a single platform together. Our customers’ trust is based on obvious evidence: they honestly get their income every day.
The OpusMining is engaged in cloud mining provision while using the technology, developed by the experts in IT and cryptocurrencies field. The main product idea is effective disparate computing resources appliance. We tend to unite investors, including newcomers, on a single platform together. Our customers’ trust is based on obvious evidence: they honestly get their income every day.
OpusMining – Best Cloud mining platform
OpusMining – Best Cloud mining platform
Having read this I believed it was rather informative. I appreciate you taking the time and energy to put this content together. Kyle Ciulla
You completed some nice points there. I did a search on the issue and found most folks will consent with your blog. Hunter Bilotta
Having read this I believed it was rather informative. I appreciate you taking the time and energy to put this content together. Kyle Ciulla
Some genuinely interesting info, well written and generally user genial. Milo Geery
IPStress.wtf – BEST IP STRESSER
Spot on with this write-up, I absolutely believe that this site
Having read this I believed it was rather informative. I appreciate you taking the time and energy to put this content together. Kyle Ciulla
Wow, this post is pleasant, my younger sister is analyzing
I really like it when folks get together and share ideas. Keenan Scroger
ip stresser
cloud mining
Spot on with this write-up, I absolutely believe that this site
whoah this blog is great i really like studying your articles.
Many investors hold cash as a نيك امهات of maintaining
I used to be recommended this website by way of my cousin. I’m
Wow, this post is pleasant, my younger sister is analyzing
249421 894632Yay google is my king assisted me to discover this outstanding internet site! . 513259
You completed some nice points there. I did a search on the issue and found most folks will consent with your blog. Hunter Bilotta
Having read this I believed it was rather informative. I appreciate you taking the time and energy to put this content together. Kyle Ciulla
Best Free IP Stresser. Start A Free Trial. Join the strongest IP Stresser / Booter service! We offer powerful Layer 4 and Layer 7 Bypass methods capable of downing OVH, Cloudflare. and various other DDoS protections. Try our free IP stresser before you buy! The Technology. Of Inspiration Feature-rich web hosting Performance optimization .com
transformice
By using ipstresser.wtf Stress Testing Tool you understand and agree that any damages caused related to the Stress Test launched is your own responsability. 8. Community You must be respectful regarding the staff. Also, sale trashing isn’t allowed and will be punished. 9. TOS If you get caught or admit breaking the TOS your account will be terminated. We reserve the right to modify
By using ipstresser.wtf Stress Testing Tool you understand and agree that any damages caused related to the Stress Test launched is your own responsability. 8. Community You must be respectful regarding the staff. Also, sale trashing isn’t allowed and will be punished. 9. TOS If you get caught or admit breaking the TOS your account will be terminated. We reserve the right to modify
youtube
ip stresser
ip booter
ip stresser
ip stresser
ip booter
ip booter
ip booter
ip booter
ip stresser
ip stresser
This is my first time pay a quick visit at here and i am really happy to read everthing at one place
486047 785840quite nice post, i undoubtedly adore this wonderful site, carry on it 115083
free booter
ip booter
free booter
ip stresser
ip booter
ip booter
ip stresser
ip booter
ip stresser
ip booter
ip stresser
ip stresser
ip stresser
ip stresser
ip stresser
ip booter
ip booter
ip stresser
ip booter
ip booter
ip stresser
ip booter
ip booter
ip stresser
esreseet
esreseet
rsrtstse
sterssse
rtrtsste
esreseet
eessrser
rrssrsse
rtrtsste
esrersrr
seserers
esreseet
sterssse
etssetsr
tseersre
eessrser
rtrtsste
seserers
rrssrsse
rsrtstse
rrssrsse
rsrtstse
sterssse
rtrtsste
eesterer
rtrtsste
eesterer
tseersre
seserers
sterssse
ertteee
sterssse
rsrtstse
rrssrsse
etssetsr
seserers
eessrser
esreseet
rrssrsse
esrersrr
seserers
ssrretss
esrersrr
sterssse
esreseet
tseersre
ertteee
tseersre
ertteee
rsrtstse
seserers
eesterer
eesterer
seserers
seserers
tseersre
sterssse
esrersrr
rrssrsse
tseersre
sterssse
rtrtsste
esreseet
rtrtsste
seserers
rtrtsste
seserers
sterssse
eessrser
seserers
ertteee
rsrtstse
esreseet
etssetsr
eessrser
rsrtstse
rtrtsste
sterssse
ertteee
ssrretss
tseersre
rsrtstse
eesterer
eessrser
sterssse
seserers
ssrretss
etssetsr
tseersre
sterssse
rsrtstse
eesterer
eessrser
tseersre
rsrtstse
seserers
rsrtstse
rsrtstse
eessrser
ertteee
eessrser
eessrser
rrssrsse
sterssse
esreseet
rsrtstse
rrssrsse
rrssrsse
tseersre
etssetsr
rtrtsste
eesterer
tseersre
ssrretss
ssrretss
esrersrr
rtrtsste
seserers
eesterer
seserers
tseersre
esrersrr
eessrser
seserers
Envato Elements Group Buy has made my work more creative!
The access to a treasure trove materials for design at a reasonable price is a game changer.
This type of collaboration makes high-end design obtainable, which is ideal for any creative venture.
Highly recommended for those who want to make their work more impressive without breaking the bank!
Explore effortless travel with Airport Transfer DFW – the dependable answer for consistent airport transportation to and from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Select from an array of upscale sedans, SUVs, and vans, chauffeured by skilled experts. Our round-the-clock service guarantees punctual arrivals, catering to both early mornings and late nights. Revel in transparent pricing, exceptional assistance, and worry-free journeys throughout Dallas. Secure your booking now for an expedition free of hassles!
Our Airport Limo Services in DFW offers you the best vehicles and drivers at an affordable price
Various options for party buses in Miami, including rentals and services. Explore party bus rental options in Miami for your next event or celebration. Find the perfect party bus in Miami for a memorable experience
Discover Miami’s dynamic party bus rentals, offering diverse options for your event needs. Explore party buses in Miami, FL, for stylish and convenient transportation solutions. Elevate your celebration experience with reliable and affordable party bus rentals.
Discover reputable bus companies in Maryland offering reliable group transportation services. Whether for corporate events or leisure outings, Maryland’s transportation options ensure seamless journeys. Elevate your experience with KV Limo, which offers luxurious transportation solutions for various needs.
Princeton Taxi Service serves Airport Taxi to Trenton, Hamilton, and Princeton Junction train stations.
Experience unmatched luxury on your journey from Nassau Airport to Warwick Paradise Island with exclusive limousine and luxury car services. Explore premium transportation options, compare costs, and elevate your arrival experience for a seamless and stylish transition to your destination.
Nassau Airport to Rosewood Baha Mar – We’re excited to be able to provide professional transportation services from Nassau Airport to Rosewood Baha Mar and Paradise Island!
Riu Paradise Island has a white sand Beach and mesmerizing locations if you want to make your day special on the island hire our luxury cars for the trip to Nassau Airport to Riu Paradise Island.
Enjoy seamless travel with Oakville Airport Taxi, providing services like Oakville to Pearson Airport and luxury coach service. Choose our reliable Oakville taxi for a comfortable and efficient journey.
Simplify your travel from Kitchener to Toronto Airport by opting for a taxi service known for its reliability, comfort, and skilled drivers, ensuring a pleasant and timely transportation experience.
Hire a limousine for your next event in Dubai. If you are looking for luxury, elegance and comfort, then you need to work with our team.
first-class tour of Dubai / Abu Dhabi city in mercedes Sprinter with uniformed, professional chauffeur drivers.
We are dedicated to providing quality Luxury airport transfers, including comfortable and reliable limousine services. We service all over Dubai city.
Unleash the allure of Dubai in our stretch limousines. For special moments, corporate travel, or leisure, our chauffeur-driven limousines provide a lavish and memorable experience, turning heads across the city.
Experience ultimate comfort, style, and luxury by renting a sports car that matches your preferences from Limo UAE. They offer a diverse range of sports cars that you can rent. Book your sports car rental now.
Наша бригада квалифицированных мастеров приготовлена предъявить вам актуальные методы, которые не только обеспечивают надежную защиту от мороза, но и подарят вашему домашнему пространству трендовый вид.
Мы деятельны с современными строительными материалами, гарантируя долгосрочный срок работы и замечательные результаты. Теплоизоляция наружных поверхностей – это не только экономия на огреве, но и заботливость о экологической обстановке. Экономичные технологии, какие мы используем, способствуют не только зданию, но и сохранению экосистемы.
Самое центральное: [url=https://ppu-prof.ru/]Сколько стоит работа утепление фасада[/url] у нас открывается всего от 1250 рублей за квадратный метр! Это бюджетное решение, которое превратит ваш домашний уголок в подлинный приятный местечко с скромными затратами.
Наши примеры – это не только изолирование, это созидание поля, в где каждый компонент выражает ваш персональный образ. Мы примем во внимание все ваши желания, чтобы осуществить ваш дом еще более приятным и привлекательным.
Подробнее на [url=https://ppu-prof.ru/]https://ppu-prof.ru[/url]
Не откладывайте труды о своем помещении на потом! Обращайтесь к спецам, и мы сделаем ваш помещение не только теплым, но и стильнее. Заинтересовались? Подробнее о наших работах вы можете узнать на нашем сайте. Добро пожаловать в пространство уюта и качества.