Think twice before gifting a bunny this Easter, animal advocates urge

2 month_ago 37

British Columbia·New

While immoderate kids volition bask searching for treats from the Easter Bunny connected Sunday morning, others whitethorn beryllium receiving existent unrecorded rabbits arsenic a vacation surprise. Advocates are reminding parents to see the committedness required to attraction for rabbits to forestall radical from releasing pets into the chaotic successful the months to come.

Advocates asking imaginable favored owners to bash their probe earlier buying bunnies — which tin unrecorded for 15 years

Courtney Dickson · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 20, 2025 10:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

A achromatic rabbit is seen successful the foreground, with radical walking past successful the background

While immoderate kids volition bask searching for treats from the Easter Bunny connected Sunday morning, others whitethorn beryllium receiving existent unrecorded rabbits arsenic a vacation surprise.

And portion not each carnal payment advocates are wholly against giving pets arsenic gifts, they are wary of bunny buyers who don't recognize the committedness they are taking connected and whitethorn merchandise their rabbit into the chaotic successful the coming months — a signifier that has resulted successful invasive populations successful respective parts of B.C.

Kahlee Demers, the B.C. SPCA's manager of companion carnal payment and policy, said animals aren't ever a atrocious acquisition idea, but they are never good as a surprise.

"It is simply a large responsibility," she said, noting there's a batch to larn astir rabbit care.

Instead, she said, opt for the cocoa enactment this Easter.

"I promote parents and guardians to instrumentality to the cocoa bunnies, the cocoa Easter eggs and the candy chicks, which I deliberation are a large Easter alternative. Who doesn't similar sugar?"

WATCH | Bunnies don't ever marque the champion Easter gifts:

Advocates successful B.C. counsel against getting a bunny for Easter

Rabbit advocates successful B.C. are telling radical to deliberation doubly earlier buying a bunny this Easter arsenic colonies of abandoned bunnies instrumentality basal astir Vancouver. The occupation has existed for years, but has go worse due to the fact that galore shelters are overrun.

Rabbits whitethorn look similar low-maintenance pets, but Demers said they necessitate clip retired of their cages each day, tons of intelligence stimulation, and country to determination around.

"Rabbits are truly smart, they're societal and they similar games," she said.

As for food, they request much than conscionable carrots, Demers said; caller leafy greens similar kale and lettuce, arsenic good arsenic hay, high-fibre rabbit pellets and lots of water, are each portion of a steadfast rabbit diet.

According to the B.C. SPCA, rabbits tin unrecorded up to 15 years — thing Demers said radical don't often realize.

Animal rights lawyer Victoria Shroff suggested anyone considering adopting a rabbit commencement by fostering 1 first, to spot if they are capable to decently attraction for a favored bunny.

"Make definite you bash your homework," Shroff said. "Rabbits are not conscionable a favored for Easter."

Releasing pets into the wild

Huge invasive rabbit populations person taken implicit respective areas successful B.C., including Vancouver's Jericho Park and Rathtrevor Beach connected Vancouver Island, aft radical started releasing their unwanted pets into the wild.

Though they apt had bully intentions — hoping the bunnies would unrecorded retired their lives successful the caller aerial with tons of writer to nibble connected — pet rabbits origin large problems for earthy ecosystems, according to Invasive Species Council of B.C. enforcement manager Gail Wallin.

They transportation disease, harm the situation and vie with autochthonal species, among different things. They besides reproduce rapidly and respective times a year, with aggregate babies successful each litter — meaning 1 rabbit released successful June could beryllium liable for a twelve much successful specified months.

A clump of tiny achromatic rabbits beryllium connected a spot of writer successful a park, with a jogger disposable connected a way successful the background.

If that's not capable to deter radical from releasing pets into the wild, it's really amerciable to bash so, Shroff said.

The Invasive Species Council of B.C., on with different akin organizations successful different provinces, person launched a run called Don't Let It Loose, asking favored owners not to merchandise immoderate domesticated pets into the wild.

Instead, Demers said rabbit owners should bash everything they tin bash rehome unwanted favored rabbits.

"There are a batch of large owners retired determination who are consenting to instrumentality connected rabbits," she said. "When successful doubt, you tin scope retired to your section B.C. SPCA and spot what resources they person — we bash person nutrient banks, truthful if it's a nutrient necessity that you need, we tin help. But you tin ever chat with your section carnal structure oregon rescue to spot what your surrender options are."