Wendy

Wendy is a young female lop rabbit who was found roaming the streets in the dead of winter. Skinny, dirty, and frightened with overgrown nails and swollen teats suggesting a recent litter, it became apparent that it was likely she had been deliberately released despite hopes that she was merely lost. Wendy likely had a litter that was cute enough to be adopted out, but being larger and older was no longer desirable herself; we see this frequently in rabbits due to the large number of pet stores that sell animals of both genders, often resulting in pregnancies their new owners were not prepared to deal with. Pair this with the fact that many "mini" lops sold in the US are not so "mini" after all, and you can see why a rabbit who was suddenly too big and too pregnant for their owners' expectations would find herself on the street instead of in a loving home.

I wish I could say that the release of domesticated rabbits by their owners is a rare and isolated occurrence. Sadly, quite the opposite is true - indeed in the past we've taken in three other rabbits found running at large who were never claimed and thus likely abandoned. Rabbit homelessness in the United States is rivaled only by dog and cat homelessness; they are one of the most popular small pets, yet only just now are appropriate shelters and sanctuaries, advocacy groups, and spay/neuter efforts becoming commonplace. Despite being a commitment with a lifespan rivaling a dog's, rabbits are still available as inexpensive impulse purchases at pet stores, $20 in exchange for a creature whose vast care needs are only just now being understood.

The pet industry has played a prominent role in the rabbit homelessness crisis. Being inexpensive to produce and easy to sell at a high mark up, rabbits have been a prominent figure in most stores selling animals - including so-called progressive stores like Petco and Petsmart. Products sold in stores often fail to reflect the true husbandry needs of rabbits, ranging from too-small cages to inferior diets, with plenty of gratuities inbetween. Indeed, and investigation of a few local stores suggests that many stores do not sell a single cage appropriate in size for a pair of full grown rabbits. More importantly, what rabbits truly need can not be bought in fancy packaging: plenty of space, attention, stimulation, understanding, and of course, a committed life long home.

Still, responsibility must lie equally on the shoulders of the owners. While most in the US have come to realize that dogs and cats are precious family members who should not be purchased on impulse, commodified as tools of profit, denied basic care needs, or light-heartedly abandoned, the message is yet to spread out to other species. Ask your average person on the street if one should research and prepare before buying or adopting a dog and the answer is likely to be an enthusiastic yes, yet even advocates of responsible dog and cat ownership may keep rabbits and other species in utterly unacceptable care conditions due to ignorance. With the wealth of information now available on proper rabbit husbandry from organizations like the House Rabbit Society, there is really no excuse to go into rabbit keeping ignorant and unprepared.

And so, Wendy has a few requests for the prospective rabbit owners out there:
1. Please research proper rabbit husbandry prior to getting a rabbit - the House Rabbit Society is a good place to start. Pet store employees are not experts, often do not have the best interest of animals at heart, and may mislead you into buying unsuitable accessories for the sake of profit. Don't fall into the trap of assuming "They wouldn't make it if it wasn't good for them!" If this were good logic, there would be no market for cigarettes and junk food in humans.
2. Make sure you can afford and accommodate a rabbit's life long care needs. With proper care a rabbit can live as long as a dog or cat, and during that lifespan will need a constant supply of fresh foods, hay, bedding/litter, enrichment toys, etc. not to mention vet bills. What's more, the rabbit will need plenty of space and attention for it's whole life - not just until the cuteness wears off or until the baby is born. Pet ownership is about your commitment, not your convenience.
3. If you can't keep your rabbit, never let it loose! Domesticated rabbits have been bred for hundreds of years to live with humans. Their wild natures (and looks) have been so diluted by captivity that they never survive long out in the elements on their own. Releasing a captive rabbit isn't "freeing" it - it is a death sentence. Try classifieds, online adoption net works, rescue organizations, etc. Also consider if the rabbit really needs to be rehomed, or if its owner simply needs to step up to the plate and fulfill his or her duties.
4. Don't buy, adopt. Rabbits are living beings that we have no right in buying and selling like a pair of pants or sack of groceries - they are intelligent, sentient, living creatures. Pet store rabbits are typically mass produced in the same poor conditions of puppy mills and backyard breeders, which can result in genetic and temperament issues. Thousands of unwanted rabbits are already in need of loving homes without producing more. Check your local shelters, nearby chapters of the house rabbit society, petfinder.com, and classified ads - it is almost definite that you will quickly find rabbits needing homes.

Wendy is a wonderful rabbit, and I am honored to have her living here. However, the fact that she and many other rabbits have needed to come through these doors suggests a fundamental problem with the state of rabbit ownership today. The ultimate goal is not to have shelters and sanctuaries available for rabbits, but rather a day where rabbits are never put in her situation thanks to an end to impulse purchase and a greater respect and awareness of rabbits' needs.