A Chicago animal shelter that rescues and finds homes for abandoned rabbits is looking for Easter Amnesty from Chicago pet stores. The Red Door Animal Shelter has asked pet stores to stop selling rabbits in the weeks leading up to Easter so people skip an impulse buy that ends up with a rabbit becoming homeless or euthanized when the novelty wears off.
“So far, a few of the pet stores are on board with us, but most of them will just keep selling rabbits to cash in while they can,” says Matt Gannon, manager of the Red Door. “About 30 percent of the owner surrenders that we take in were rabbits purchased in pet stores, which is on par with the national average of 33 percent. When the kids get tired of them or people realize they don’t want to take care of them, they are abandoned.”
It’s hard to gauge the true number of rabbits surrendered since it’s not uncommon for people to dump unwanted rabbits outside when they are no longer wanted. That’s bad news for domesticated bunnies that don’t know how to survive outside their pen. Before getting in that position, Gannon recommends that you not only wait until after Easter, but also do lots of homework leading up to adding a rabbit as a pet. Spend time on the Internet and talking to shelters or rescues that focus on rabbits.
“If you have other pets in the house, especially dogs with strong prey drives, take time to consider how a rabbit will fit into your household,” says Gannon. “Also, remember that a rabbit isn’t going to just sit in a cage like a hamster or gerbil, there’s a bit more involved in caring for them. It isn’t necessarily harder than a cat or a dog, just very different.”
One of the other factors driving the rabbit industry is the $600 million pet supply end of the business. A rabbit requires a pen, litter box, small animal litter, hay, toys, and other basics just like a cat, dog or other pet. The pet stores make much more money selling those products than they do on rabbit sales. And, should you make the move to include a cuddly bunny after Easter, Gannon says you should adopt, not shop.
“Some of the problems you run into with rabbits purchased in pet stores are socialization, health and issues connected with rabbits not being spayed or neutered,” says Gannon. “At a shelter, the rabbits are not only socialized, but the adoption counselors will also work to find one that is a good fit for your family because we want a good match. They’ve been spayed or neutered, cutting down on aggression issues and spraying that occurs just like with other animals that’ve not been fixed. And, they have had a health check and shots.”
As with dogs and cats sold in pet stores, the rabbits also come from mass breeding operations with little regard to the health or bloodlines of the animals. The Red Door Animal Shelter rescues and finds homes for cats, dogs and rabbits. For more information about the Red Door Animal Shelter, go online or follow them on Facebook. Also learn more about the care of rabbits and other pets on the pet care section of their site.
Editors note: Wilmette Pet Center, The Animal Store and Thee Fish Bowl are supporting the Easter Amnesty program.
Do you volunteer or work for a shelter or rescue that has programs you'd like to promote? Do you work in a pet-releated business that has an interesting story to tell? If so, contact me at kathypetexam@gmail.com. Enjoy this article? Receive email alerts when new articles become available. Just click on the subscribe button above. You may also follow me on Twitter, Facebook or read my blog.
Comments