The Cupertino Courier
Community
Buy chocolate bunnies,not live ones, for Easter
By Erin Hussey
The Easter holiday is a celebration of spring and of new life. Sadly, for most rabbits, it means injuries, abandonment and even death.
"Baby anythings are cute," says Heather Bechtel, executive director of The Rabbit Haven. "They are really hard to resist but what people don't get is that they are going to grow up and they are not an expendable pet."
The Rabbit Haven, located in Scotts Valley, rescues injured and abandoned rabbits from the general public and animal shelters in Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties. Its top priority is saving the injured rabbits on "death row."
Bechtel and her volunteers work to place the rescued rabbits, once they are healthy and spayed or neutered, into loving foster permanent homes.
The Rabbit Haven and other Bay Area animal organizations such as For Other Living Things in Sunnyvale, SaveABunny and the Humane Society Silicon Valley, are on a mission to decrease the number of returned pet store bunnies that will inevitably bombard shelters and sanctuaries in the weeks following Easter.
"I still can't believe people want to give them as Easter gifts," says Bechtel. "The shelters are already full and it's not even Easter. I'm really worried."
Laura Fulda of the Humane Society Silicon Valley said its rabbit rooms are overflowing.
"Our cat population is lower right now and so a lot of the cat cages are filled with rabbits," Fulda says. She adds that these are not stray rabbits, but ones dropped off by frustrated parents.
"Kids say they will take care of them but they don't. And so the parents bring them in," she says. "We are really working hard to change the perception that rabbits are throwaway pets. We want to make sure the people that due adopt see them as a forever pet."
With their big brown eyes, soft cuddly fur and cute little noses, rabbits are hard to resist. But, like any pets, they take energy, money and attention.
"People don't realize how much care is required for them," says Bechtel. "You can't just shove them outside in a hut."
Bechtel says rabbits should be kept indoors, in gated areas that are at least eight feet in size, but they should also be allowed to run around the house under supervision.
"They are neat and clean if you keep them that way," says Bechtel.
Rabbits can be trained to use a litter box, which should be changed, along with their water and food, on a daily basis.
Kathleen Smith of Sunnyvale is a proud and happy bunny owner.
"They are so much fun," she says. Smith currently has seven rabbits she has adopted through The Rabbit Haven and other various shelters. Her fifteen-year-old daughter Amy is largely responsible for the care of the animals.
"They are a lot of work, I'm not going to fool you. My daughter does a good job, but it takes both of us to manage them," she says. "But they are just wonderful animals. They will snuggle with you, they will dance on the floor and do tricks."
Both The Rabbit Haven and SaveABunny support the "Make Mine Chocolate" campaign that encourages people to buy chocolate or toy bunnies instead of the real animal for Easter gifts.
"I got a call yesterday from a vet saying a little child had picked up this rabbit by the back legs and broke them," says Bechtel. She adds that the cost of surgery for the rabbit will be around $1,500.
"This is what happens when rabbits are purchased for Easter. These are wonderful animals and we need people who can appreciate the joyful nature of a rabbit. They are not toys."
