We often see stories about misinformed rabbit owners, breeders, veterinarians, and laypeople “teaching” others about rabbits, and this spirals into a terrible pattern of misunderstandings — the results are rabbits who are treated poorly, abandoned, or pass prematurely. Over the past decade, there has been such a surge of rabbit advocacy as we learn more, so I want to share a recent example of how reaching out can make a difference!

On Nov. 26, 2018, Bangor Daily News printed an article titled “Rabbits make for low-maintenance pet”. Here is a photo of the article: http://bit.ly/2Q7mXEr  

Rabbit owners reached out to BDN via e-mail in response, and as a result, the writer has been making changes to the article as it appears online. If you compare the printed article to the web-published version, you can see tremendous differences: http://bangordailynews.com/2018/11/20/homestead/should-you-raise-rabbits/

… In short, reaching out to educate others may do nothing, but other times it can be worthwhile! It’s important to keep in mind, when talking to others, to be calm and not aggressive. Present information and acknowledge why misunderstandings may occur. We are all learning, and when educating others, it’s important to consider whether we are coming off as aggressive lecturers or empathetic educators.