In another week, for those that celebrate, their weekend will be filled with candy, egg hunts, and bunnies. As Easter approaches, parents repeatedly chose to buy their young children a rabbit for Easter. My parents did the same. Unfortunately, most parents expect their children, as young as three years old, to fully take care of the new pet. And sadly, a large percentage of these bunnies end up at an animal shelter within the first couple of months after the holiday. People don’t realize that bunnies can live between 8 to 10 years, it’s not a short term commitment.

If you are planning on getting someone a cute little bunny for Easter, make sure to consider a few things first.

NEVER EVER BUY A DYED RABBIT.

Please. I know it’s so cute to have a rabbit or chick dyed bright Easter colors, but the dye can be toxic for the animals. If the animal does not develop health problems from the dye, as soon as the dye fades away, the young owners quickly lose interest. These animals are then quickly dumped. Thankfully, half of the states have banned the sale and practice of dying animals. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania is not one of them.

STAY AWAY FROM PET STORES.

Several cities have now banned the sale of rabbits in pet stores. Such cities include New York City and Los Angeles. Rabbits in pet stores are traumatized. Most pet stores have the rabbits on display. They are mixed with guinea pigs, which is not recommended to mix the two species. The animals are constantly being stared at, poked at, and constantly have grubby hands reaching into pet them. This is a lot for the little creatures. They may become afraid of people, reacting in various ways. These rabbits can become violent and bite. Those that bite may be euthanized. Or they may never truly warm up to their new owners. The ones purchased quickly end up at a shelter. Roughly 80% of Easter bunnies end up at some sort of shelter. Some owners even set their domestic rabbits free, an environment the bunnies cannot handle.

LOOK INTO ADOPTION.

Many local shelters have a bunny program. Or can offer you a list of rescues that do. Based off current prices I have seen online and in stores, you actually SAVE money by adopting a rabbit. In-store prices are right around $100. These are baby bunnies who may be sick, are not spayed/neutered, and are not litter box trained. Shelter bunnies are right around $60. They are normally vet-checked, fixed, and have litter box training. Fixing a rabbit can easily cost a couple hundred dollars by itself.

Having a rabbit is a bigger responsibility than one would think. If you truly want to get a rabbit for the holiday, only do so if you can fully commit to it. A rabbit is not a stuffed animal that you pay attention for a short period of time and then put away on the shelf. I am not saying no one should give their children a rabbit for Easter, but to fully research beforehand. Stay away from “providers” who do harmful practices, such as dying their fur and pet stores. This will result in receiving a rabbit better fit for your family in the long run. A rabbit can be messy and requires a lot of attention, and if you and your family are ready for that, then by all means look into adopting! Most shelter bunnies are simply looking for a place to call their own and a person to love them.

If you truly want a bright colored rabbit, I’m sure Walmart has plenty of stuffed animal in their stores!

Or you could always buy your loved ones candy instead.