It may be one of the quintessential symbols of Easter and spring, but a local pet store owner is trying to spread the message that buying your children a bunny to mark the holiday is not a good idea.
A rabbit owner herself, Michelle LeMoignan, who is one of the owners of Pets-N-Us, says the furry little critters generally do not make good pets for children.
"Rabbits as a rule don't like to be picked up and cuddled," she said.
While they might seem cute in the store, having a rabbit as a pet is a longterm commitment. They can live for more than a decade, she said, and are more work and can cause more destruction around the house than a dog.
Delta Community Animal Shelter manager Sarah Jones agrees.
"Rabbits are not good pets for kids," she said. "They're a complex pet."
Jones said the small animals are on the low end of the food chain and tend to be nervous and anxious, especially if they are not socialized properly at a young age.
Jones said rabbits have complex dietary needs and cannot simply be left in a cage.
"They're not self-sustaining."
Rabbits are the third most-surrendered pet, she said, adding the Delta shelter sees at least a few every year in the months following Easter.
Many also end up abandoned in local parks and green spaces.
In 2012, the Corporation of Delta spent thousands capturing, sterilizing and relocating the estimated 500 rabbits that had come to call the municipal precinct home.
Jones said the shelter does not want people to simply abandon an unwanted rabbit. Owners who no longer want their furry friends should either give it away to someone who will properly care for it or surrender it to a shelter. LeMoignan suggests people
really interested in getting a rabbit contact one of the rabbit rescue organizations in the Lower Mainland - Small Animal Rescue Society of B.C., Bandaids for Bunnies and Vancouver Rabbit Rescue.
LeMoignan, who also volunteers with Bandaids for Bunnies, recently held a fundraiser, the first-ever Baby Bunny Shower, at the Tsawwassen Pets-N-Us. The event raised more than $600.
