Don't Be A Bunny This Easter

Don't be a Bunny this Easter Did you know that each year hundreds of pet rabbits are unnecessarily surrendered to shelters and rescue services for rehoming? While it is a year round problem, it is especially relevant to raise this issue now coming up to Easter. Unfortunately there will be families that decide to purchase for their children a real, live, cute, cuddly and kicking Easter Bunny. I can’t stress strongly enough just how much of a commitment is involved in deciding to make a rabbit your pet. It is not simply an exercise in teaching children responsibility. As with any pet, it is the parents that need to be ultimately responsible for the rabbits care and up keep. I can almost guarantee that when first purchased, most people have no idea that rabbits can and do live as long as a large dog, 10-12 years, provided that they are given adequate and appropriate care. Rabbits are fragile animalsand are not always suited to be the pets of very young children. If not socialised rabbits can bite and choose to avoid being handled. Rabbits are not toys; they can’t just be put back in the toy box and forgotten once the novelty wears off. When the children do tire of the cleaning, feeding, exercising and spending time with the rabbit, the general result is that it will become neglected or be surrendered to a shelter. Bunnies literally do breed like rabbits and if left undesexed can become territorial and antisocial. If the rabbit was purchased to teach the children a lesson about responsibility, what lesson are they really learning? If you are determined to acquire a rabbit and you are prepared to make the commitment to meet their physical and psychological needs, then consider adopting one rather than buying one from a pet shop. Even if you realise that you are not equipped to make a rabbit part of your family, you can still help the bunnies that are homeless. Animal Aid has lovely bunnies looking for homes at the moment. It may not cost a lot to feed them while they are with us, but desexing them is where it hurts our hip pocket. We charge $65 to take home a rabbit but it costs us $150 to have them desexed, microchipped and vaccinated, leaving us with a deficit of $85 just for veterinary costs. Rabbits are the third most frequently relinquished pet at shelters and they need your help too. So stick to buying chocolate bunnies this year and help support the successful rehoming of a real rabbit to a forever home. Make a donation today and help us look after the many rabbits (and guinea pigs) that come in through our doors. Follow this link and click on the"bunny money" icon.