Pixabay/Downbeach residents are taking the proliferation of rabbits into their own hands to the detriment of neighborhood pets.
By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY
LONGPORT – Mayor Nicholas Russo Thursday, July 1 posted a letter to residents on the borough website advising them to find an alternate solution to the rabbit infestation than poisoning them.
“We got a call yesterday about a dog who got poisoned and saw the need for urgency in putting the word out about the inherent dangers of putting out any type of poison,” he said Friday morning.
No one knows who is putting out the toxins or where, but dead rabbits are popping up in neighborhoods across the Downbeach area. Even worse, the poisons are affecting neighborhood pets.
Last week, a Margate woman reported that her dog died from what her veterinarian said were symptoms of poisoning.
The Margate Board of Commissioners also fielded a complaint from a resident during their meeting on Thursday afternoon.
Resident Sally Carter said another dog has died on Andover Avenue and another dead rabbit was found in her neighborhood.
She requested a public service announcement be posted to warn residents about the problem and ask them to refrain from putting out poisons.
“I am a major gardener,” she said. “I have a vegetable garden and a flower garden, and I pick and choose what I plant. I have grand-babies, and I wouldn’t want them walking around construction sites or walking in poison, I wouldn’t want that.”
Solicitor John Scott Abbott, who is a dog owner, said the city has taken the problem into consideration.
Russo said the borough may not have any control over what a person does on his or her own property, but when it affects the public health of animals and people outside of their property, there must be something that can be done.
He said that he would bring up the possibility of adopting an ordinance to address the issue at the next Board of Commissioners meeting on July 7. The borough already has an ordinance prohibiting the feeding of “unconfined wildlife.”
“I will bring it up at the workshop meeting, and most importantly, first get the opinion of our solicitor,” he said.
Administrator A. Scott Porter, who lost a pug earlier this year due to old age, said he would be “distraught” if he suddenly lost a dog due to poisoning. He confirmed that a resident called to say their pet was poisoned, most likely by something directed toward the proliferation of bunnies.
“We received a call from a resident that their dog got sick. They took the dog to the vet, who did some bloodwork, and it confirmed the dog had been poisoned. The person reported that their neighbor’s dog had died, and they also found dead rabbits on their property,” he said. “The reality is that if someone is using poisons to kill the rabbits, they are taking a chance that someone’s pet is going to ingest it. There will be unintended consequences.”
Downbeach residents may be in a Catch-22 by having manicured lawns and beautiful landscaping that serve as a food source for the rabbits. Now that the bunny population has soared, they want them gone.
Russo said he wanted to warn residents about the problem but also be positive in his letter by suggesting that residents plant flowers or plants that the rabbits don’t like or use as a food source.
“We understand that rabbits are a nuisance. Although, rabbit poison is not the answer,” he wrote. “Please consider contacting your local landscaper or nursery for rabbit resistant plants and other ideas that are safe for all of us.”
Prof. Richard Van Vranken, department head of Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Atlantic County, suggested residents review the Penn State Extension list of rabbit resistant garden and landscape plants.
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