A local animal rescue group is pleading with parents to stop giving rabbits to their kids at Easter.
The call comes after a number of rabbits have been given away or dumped outside in recent weeks.
“Easter bunny dump season is kind of what we call the six to eight week period after Easter,” Cindy Hildebrand, Director of Popcorns & Binkies Rescue Haven, explained.
Popcorns & Binkies Rescue Haven is a non-profit small animal rescue in Winnipeg.
Hildebrand said many people don’t realize just how much work goes into caring for rabbits. She said that in some cases, they’re as much work as cats or dogs.
They’re at least a 10 year commitment and need a minimum of three to four hours of exercise a day, Hildebrand added.
And you can’t just feed them pellets from the pet store.
“Actually, 80 per cent of their diet is Timothy Hay, 15 per cent of it is fresh fruits and vegetables and then the remaining five per cent is the rabbit pellets and treats.”
So far this spring, the non-profit has rescued six rabbits.
Hildebrand said most were found early and were somewhat dirty and underweight.
One of the rabbits they saved is in rough shape.
“He is probably one of the worst cases we’ve seen. He’s emaciated, he came in covered in feces, and his own filth. He’s very sick right now and we actually don’t know at this point if he will survive.”
Hildebrand’s husband Jeff also works with the non-profit as the Assistant Director.
He stressed that anyone who is interested in getting a pet rabbit should do some homework before making their final decision.
“The most important thing, I would say, is to research twice and adopt once,” Jeff said.
“If you’re thinking about it, apply to foster and see if it’s right for you.”
Popcorns & Binkies has thirty foster homes for the animals they rescue, but the couple said they’re always looking for more people to volunteer their homes. The couple said anyone looking to foster or to adopt can apply to do so.
“When somebody wants to adopt, they apply to adopt and they need to provide references, and they need to show us a picture of the space the rabbit is going to get. So it’s not like going into a pet store a buying a rabbit. We want to make sure this rabbit has a home that’s suitable for it and that the people are fully aware of the commitment they’re signing up for,” Jeff said.
On Friday, the rescue will celebrate its one year anniversary. During that time, the non-profit has rescued 40 rabbits.
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