Shelters Warn Against Buying Bunnies & Chicks For Easter

With Easter approaching, animal rescue organizations are anticipating an influx of abandoned animals as baby bunnies and chicks are bought as Easter gifts and later let loose on the side of the road or dumped at over-crowded animal shelters.

Nancy Beall, president of the Atlantic County SPCA — which doesn’t house domesticated rabbits and birds, but does help provide treatment and find housing for the abandoned domesticated animals — said it may seem like people are becoming more educated and aware of the proper treatment of domesticated animals in recent years, especially as more laws against animal cruelty have been put into place, but the trend of people buying bunnies and baby chicks as Easter presents is still very much alive.

In New Jersey, state law prohibits people from abandoning a domesticated animal or selling, offering for sale, bartering, giving away or displaying live baby chicks, ducklings and rabbits that have been dyed or artificially colored, which was a common practice in the recent past. Selling, offering for sale or giving away living rabbits, baby chicks and ducklings under 2 months of age for use as household or domestic pets is also illegal.

“People forget that those little fluff balls turn into full-grown hens or roosters, which are even harder to adopt out since they don’t produce eggs, Beall said

Mike Butterhof, manager of Butterhof’s Farm & Home Supply of Mullica Township, which sells baby chicks, but only for farming and egg-production purposes, said there’s a law that prohibits the sale of fewer than six chicks at a time in the month prior to Easter to persuade people from buying them as Easter gifts. The day after Easter, customers can buy one chick if they wish.

Still, Butterhof said, he can tell right away when a customer is interested in buying chicks as pets or presents.

 The bottom line, Beall said, is to make sure you’re ready for a several-year commitment if you buy a rabbit or even a chick as a pet, “or don’t go buying these poor little things. Buy a chocolate bunny, or better yet, buy a stuffed bunny — it’s less calories, and they’ll stay cute and small forever.”

Entire article at
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/animal-rescue-organizations-warn-against-buying-rabbits-chicks-as-easter/article_5256e884-c5c6-11e3-b8c5-001a4bcf887a.html