Animal Lovers Web Forum

Full Version: Rabbit rescues face post Easter rush
You're currently viewing a stripped down version of our content. View the full version with proper formatting.
Many people like to take home a baby bunny for Easter. Baby bunnies are so cute. However a short time later they find themselves with a full sized rabbit and they are not prepared to care for it.  The good people at least take the rabbit to a shelter and give it a chance. The not so good people just put the rabbit outside to fend for itself. That is a certain death sentence unless the rabbit is spotted and rescued in time.

Every year ads tell people to not buy a bunny for Easter unless it is chocolate. And every year people do it. The shelters and rescues do the best they can, but the are overwhelmed very quickly.

http://news.google.ca/news/url?sr=1&ct2=...t=1&at=dt0

When it is so bad that they can only take in rabbits found in the park then there is a problem.

This is a good time of the year to make a donation to your local rabbit rescue. They certainly need all the support we can give them.
Thank you for posting this Catherine.
Yes, some people think a rabbit can automatically live outside in the wild. But it is not true. The rabbits which are bred to be pets are totally different from the wild rabbits. The domesticated ones do not stand a chance outside. They maybe have 24 hours of life left.

Foxes, Buzzards, Coyotes, even cats, regularly take rabbits as prey. The domesticated ones have not got a clue what to do to avoid being eaten. Even if they survive predators, they do not know how to cope in the wild.
They find rabbits in the park all the time. People think it is okay to release them if they  no longer want them. These pet rabbits are quite simply, pets, that is it, they are pets. They have no natural instincts for an environment that is not their home. They have no survival skills.

The predators will get them for sure. If they are lucky enough to hide a few days they will not know what to eat. They grew up eating pellets and vegetables and drinking from a water bottle. The wild rabbits are not going to take them in and help them survive. They are just too different.

People who choose to turn a rabbit loose in the park are saying "run free and die horribly, little rabbit".
It is the ultimate lack of responsibility.


The shelters will take in as many as they can, but they will get overwhelmed by the numbers of rabbits.
Like any pet people need to research what it takes to keep a rabbit and decide if they can make the commitment. If not get a fuzzy stuffed toy rabbit.
I am sorry I missed this post before.
I can't believe people are still doing things like that! Buying their children a rabbit for Easter (or a puppy for a birthday...etc) -with no intention of following through and staying with that animal for the rest of its life! It is very sad and heartless. Also, what sort of an example does that set for these peoples' children?
They teach their children that pets are disposable. Many seem to have learned the lesson. The shelters are full of abandoned pets.
Many families buy a pet and when the children lose interest they get rid of the pet. Didn't they know the children would lose interest? If you take home a pet you are making a commitment. You shouldn't expect the children to be responsible for it. They are still children and they still need adults to be responsible for them.

It is very hard for rabbits to go through abandonment. They are very sensitive creatures.