Stockholm Rabbit Bio Fuels

Last week it emerged that the Swedes are a nation of bunny boilers. Joking aside, residents of the Swedish city Stockholm are divided over a bunny burning issue. The bodies of thousands of culled rabbits are fuelling a heating plant in the city in a bid to address two problems at once.

Rabbits are not native to Sweden yet rabbits released into the wild by irresponsible owners are breeding in the wild and are said to be obliterating parks in the Swedish capital. As rabbits have no natural predators in this environment, the city has taken steps to address the problem by beginning a rabbit cull. According to one rabbit hunter speaking on Germany’s Spiegel website, 3000 rabbits have already been culled this year. Once the rabbits are dead, a contractor takes the bodies away to a heating plant which incinerates them in order to heat local homes.

This idea has been funded by the EU as part of the Biomal project. Supporters of the project say this is a good system as it deals with disposing of the animal’s bodies yet provides a renewable heat source. However opponents believe this is not a good way to treat rabbits and find the idea rather unpalatable.

Here at Petshop 24-7, we understand the eco argument as we are committed to doing our bit for the environment but the ethics surrounding this are somewhat troubling. We would love to hear your comments about this story.

Not just for Christmas

As the October nights draw in and the clocks are about to go back, we are all becoming very aware that Christmas is just around the corner. Every year, all sorts of animals big and small are purchased by well-meaning people to give as Christmas presents. It’s hard to measure the delight on a child’s face when they realise that they have a new puppy to play with at Christmas or the elderly gentleman who now has a loving feline companion to live out his days with.
Unfortunately, every year, families realise they cannot give their pets the time and attention they need, particularly dog owners who do not have the time to take them for long walks on a daily basis. The time comes when families have to make the tough decision to hand them over to new owners. In the depth of the recession, the amount of animals handed over to shelters as people can no longer afford to feed their pets has risen to critical levels and shelters are buckling under the pressure of looking after more pets than they can accommodate. It seems as though this is a trend that will not end any time soon.

Petshop 24-7 advise people to think very carefully about adopting a pet into their family this Christmas. Pets are very loving and rewarding but require your time and your love. Animals have been a major casualty of the recession, with owners finding it hard to pay for vets bills or basic care such as flea prevention or grooming. Despite the recession, we at Petshop 24-7 aim to provide excellent value for money, check out our Facebook page for offers and news on the latest pet care.