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- Twin sisters, Bonnie and Connie Andrews are on
a campaign to 'Prevent Hare Loss this Easter.' Connie Andrews
created a popular website for house rabbit owners,
www.hopperhome.com with its primary goal to discourage impulse
buying of live rabbits as gifts for children at Easter.
With her
sister, Bonnie, the twins have doubled their efforts to raise public
awareness every Easter. Both twins feel it's important to
remind parents that a plush stuffed toy bunny is a better choice for
an Easter Gift than a live bunny. The twins have informally rescued
domesticated rabbits to socialize for adoption and have also
volunteered their time with Basically Bunnies, formerly located near Reno, Nevada and the Companion Rabbit
Society in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They currently maintain
Hopperhome as an informational resource especially for those new to
house rabbits and maintain a blog on rabbit news and information for
anyone interested in rabbits as companion animals.
According to Connie, 'The problem of discarded pets
after Easter can be prevented if people understand rabbits have
unique requirements and can live as long as a cat or dog up to 10
years or more. Bonnie currently has a rabbit , Mr. Basil, who
is still going strong at eleven years old. Unfortunately,
these rabbits overburden animal shelters
nationwide within a few months after Easter. Most rabbits without
hope of adoption are destroyed. Also, many people will release
their pet rabbit into the wild thinking it can fend for itself.”
Andrews says, “This is especially cruel for domesticated rabbits
because they are helpless on their own and prey for everything
including owls, dogs, cats, coyotes and much more.' A free
downloadable flyer is available on Hopperhome.com called, "A
Dozen Wild Reasons to Never Abandon a Rabbit Outdoors."
Several other informational flyers are also availables on
Hopperhome.com including a "Rabbit Fact Sheet."
Both
twins agree that a rabbit is not a low maintenance nor an inexpensive
pet to keep. Unless neutered or spayed between 4 to 6 months of age,
they can become aggressive, territorial and overwhelming for a
child. Adult rabbits may not enjoy being picked up which can be
frustrating for a child who wants to hug their pet. Also, fragile
rabbit backbones break easily. Children can have a hard time
getting a firm grip on a kicking rabbit and drop it. Stuffed toy
rabbits are a safer and more humane Easter gift.
For more
information about rabbits as house pets hop to
www.hopperhome.com on the
internet.
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