A local animal protection group is urging residents not to give real rabbits as a gift this Easter, and avoid the growing problem of unwanted tame bunnies being abandoned to the wild.
The Montgomery Voice For Animals claims each year unwanted Easter rabbits fill local rabbit rescue and humane societies, and have supported the “Make Mine Chocolate!™” campaign to break the cycle.
It says more than 30,000 rabbits are abandoned every year and says most recipients are ill-prepared.
A spokesperson said: “They are complex creatures who need so much more than a hutch to make their lives worth living. If you are seriously thinking of getting a rabbit please leave it until after Easter and visit your local rescue centre instead.
“In the months following Easter, local animal rescue societies and rabbit rescues are flooded with rabbits, former Easter gifts no longer wanted. The unlucky ones are dumped outside where predators, cars, illness, and injury virtually guarantee an early death or imprisoned in a hutch with nothing to do.”
The campaign's goal is to spread the message that rabbits should not be casually acquired and to educate the public about the special needs of these often-fragile creatures.
“We educate the public of the challenges of properly caring for rabbits and to encourage them to purchase chocolate Easter bunnies (or stuffed toy animals) rather than live rabbits,” the spokesperson added.