Giving a bunny as an Easter gift? It might not be a good idea, expert says
ENCINITAS, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Some families may think about giving their kids bunnies or chicks as Easter presents, but the Rancho Coastal Humane Society warns people to think twice before taking home a fuzzy friend this weekend.
According to RCHS spokesman John Van Zante, shelters nationwide come across stray bunnies who were abandoned by the families that adopted them for Easter. As for chicks, families should be willing to care for them when they turn into adults weeks later, Van Zante said.
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“A chick that is half fluff and half feathers isn’t very attractive,” he said. “And then it starts acting like a chicken. It becomes a ‘pecking, pooping machine’ with just one purpose….to become an adult hen or rooster. If you don’t want an adult chicken living in your house or yard, don’t get a baby chick.”
Van Zante suggests getting children stuffed animals instead of live pets, unless families can handle the responsibility of caring for them.
“Unlike pet chickens that live 8 to 10 years and pet rabbits that live 8 to 12 years, stuffed animals have unlimited life expectancy,” he said.
To find a pet that fits your lifestyle, you are encouraged to visit the Rancho Coastal Humane Society at 389 Requeza Street in Encinitas. Adoption kennels are open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Monday and by appointment Wednesday and Thursday. The shelter is closed on Easter Sunday.
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