Its that time of year again, pictures of bunnies are all over the internet! You might be thinking of how great it would be to buy or adopt a bunny for someone you know on easter, but think again. These furry little creatures are a lot more work and maintenance than most people think. Many organizations like Tiny Paws Small Animal Rescue and The Rabbit Haven do not have the option to adopt any bunnies durning the month of April due to the overwhelming amount of bunnies being returned after the holiday is over. Sadly, alot of shelters in Canada often end up euthanizing many of these abandoned bunnies when they run out of space. Shelters also find alot of house bunnies left out on the street or outside their shelter, many being unable to keep care of themselves outside.
I went to some of London’s local pet stores to see on their adoption process during the Easter season. Although both Pet Paradise and Southwest Pet do allow rabbit adoption before Easter, their process is extremely rigorous. They want to make sure these fluffy creatures have a good,long and stable home. They do not want to see any of these animals being returned after a few weeks. They inform people who are thinking of buying a rabbit for easter that it is a long term commitment, that a rabbit indoors can live about 8-10 years and is as much work as owning a puppy. They require a proper diet, exercise, time with their owners and litter training.
Shawna Eggett, a former student at West Elgin has owned bunnies for the majority of her life. Her and her family have had up to 20 bunnies at one point, with a whole barn dedicated to letting them have space to run around. Right now she currently has four bunnies. “If its nice out, I try to let them run around outside. Bunnies dont like to be kept in cages the whole time. A healthy bunny is a happy bunny.” She hopes to get the message across that adopting any animal without proper research and resources to keep care of them is irresponsible. As someone who owns a bunny, I can say he was a lot more work than I ever anticipated him to be. I would never suggest buying any animal as a gift for someone; its simply not fair to the animal.
So instead of adopting or buying a rabbit for a Easter gift, why not buy a cute stuffed bunny instead. All the cuteness without any of the commitment of owning a bunny.