Dead rabbit throwing contest banned

Animal charity in New Zealand brands children's game as 'inhumane'
By METRO NEWS REPORTER - Friday, October 23, 2009

A contest that involves children seeing how far they can throw dead rabbits has been banned in New Zealand following outcry from animal welfare campaigners.

The annual 'rabbit throw' in the South Island town of Waiau has been a tradition for years but officials have had to cancel the event following complaints from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

An animal cruelty inspector with the charity, Charles Cadwallader, said: "Do you throw your dead grandmother around for a joke at her funeral?"

The bizarre competition is part of the town's annual pig hunt – a highlight in the calendar for Waiau's 400 residents.

Organiser Jo Moriarty claims banning the bunny contest is "political correctness gone mad".

She said: "You know, the children of the community here are fantastic, they love their animals."

But the outraged SPCA in New Zealand says to throw the dead rabbits around sends a message to children that dead animals are fun and a form of entertainment and that, that is not a message children should be sent.

There are 30 million wild rabbits in New Zealand but the animal charity claims that the fact the creatures are pests does not justify inhumane treatment in death.

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?Dead_rabbit__throwing_contest_banned&in_article_id=757008&in_page_id=2