Say "No" to Animals for Easter

Unfortunately, as we all know, Easter is a time when people impetuously buy chicks and rabbits for their kids. These animals subsequently become neglected as they loose their baby cuteness. Then they are taken to animal shelters, abandoned in the woods or near farms to fare for themselves, or lead a miserable life in an outside cage and cared for randomly.

The law mandates that chicks are to be sold in minimal lots of six to discourage there being purchased as Easter pets. When you pass a feed store, stop in to ensure that the law is being enforced.

With regard to rabbits, please write letters to the editor of your local paper pointing out that rabbits should not be purchased as Easter toys. They are living creatures that need special care. They are fragile, can scratch children with their nails when handled carelessly, cannot endure hot conditions, and lead a miserable life when relegated to a small box in the backyard. If you know someone who keeps a rabbit outdoors, suggest that he/she keep the cage in a shaded area and freeze 2-liter soda bottles filled with water to place in the cage to cool the rabbit during hot weather.

New York State Humane Association Humane Review, Vol.XIV, No.1, Spring 2000.