Go out and buy some Easter chicks and bunnies!

[LilynJestersMama]

This is an ad on a local pet store company’s website…

“Easter time is coming!  The cutest selection of baby chicks and bunnies can be found at ******** to satisfy your Easter needs.                           

We even have ducklings and chicks that are wearing their Easter best with pastel colors that you can only believe when you see them with your own eyes.  ********** carries many different breeds all with different colors and sizes.  If you want egg production or just a fun new pet, then come in to the store today.”

UGH, let’s encourage everyone to buy little chicks and bunnies (because it’s Easter and it’s just a cute little thing to do, right?!)!!!  grrrrrr

I hate to think of where all these cute little pets end up when Easter is over.  When I adopted Jester, I asked the rescue center if they had an increase of bunnies after Easter and they said, “Oh yes.”  How sad……

 

 

 

 

 

[Scarlet_Rose]

It’s very sad that people haven’t smartened up.  Each year the HRS has a “Make Mine Chocolate” campaign.  I’d be tempted to post fliers on/around/near the store.

Here is the web site for the “Make Mine Chocolate” campaign if you’re interested:

http://www.makeminechocolate.org/

[Hedi]

If you to the MMC website you can download and print really nice posters that you can hang or mail out. Even letters asking people to refrain from selling bunnies or asking them to not use live buns in easter photos. You may not get responses back but at least you will get the satisfaction that you planted a seed in someone.

I agree w/ Scarlet- no harm in hanging up a flier-I know around here grocery stores all have bulletin boards you can hang up anything on which makes the MMC posters perfect (they are 8×11 so not big).

If you know someone who works at a radio station or TV station MMC also has TV and radio ads that can be used as well.

[LilynJestersMama]

Good ideas!  It will make me feel better to spread the good word.  If it makes just one person stop and think about it, it will be time well spent!

Thank you 

[LilynJestersMama]

I found this on the House Rabbit Society’s site:

Easter Bunny by Mary Brandolino In memory of all the bunnies we couldn’t save.

I remember Easter Sunday It was colorful and fun The new life that I’d begun In my new cage.

I was just a little thing When they brought me from the store And they put me on the floor In my cage.

They would take me out to play Love and pet me all the time Then at day’s end I would climb In my cage.

But as days and weeks went by I saw less of them it seemed Of their loving touch I dreamed In my cage.

In the night outside their house I felt sad and so neglected Often scared and unprotected In my cage.

In the dry or rainy weather Sometimes hotter sometimes colder I just sat there growing older In my cage.

The cat and dog raced by me Playing with each other only While I sat there feeling lonely In my cage.

Upon the fresh green grass Children skipped and laughed all day I could only watch them play From my cage.

They used to take me out And let me scamper in the sun I no longer get to run In my cage.

Once a cute and cuddly bunny Like a little ball of cotton Now I’m grown up and forgotten In my cage.

I don’t know what went wrong At the home I did inhabit I just grew to be a rabbit In my cage.

But they’ve brought me to the pound I was once loved and enjoyed Now I wait to be destroyed In my cage.

[2lops]

That’s terrible!!
That poem is so sad :'(

Along with the others’ ideas anyone on BB can post an ad about this whole Easter pet buying thing on Kijiji. It’s free, the ad wil be posted in your area of town (online), and people will see it when they’re looking for these “Easter bunnies” and “Easter chicks” …and so on.

[Beeslee]

I just went to the site and printed out a few flyers. I know my vet would put one up and I can post one on the grocery store bulliten board.

EDIT:  Just ordered my bumper sticker and also spay and nueter one.  Will soon be a driving bill board for a good cause

That is such a sad poem but so real and true :<((

[Beka27]

I’m used to the bunny ignorance. Every year it’s the same thing… but ducks and chickens?! Is anyone truly equipped to care for a full-grown duck or chicken (unless you have ducks and chickens on a farm already, I doubt you are.)

This makes me angry.

[kralspace]

I used to live just out of town on 4 acreas, so you can imagine I was the dropping point for everyone in my family and their friends. I did have a small coop with chickens but every Easter I’d ‘inherit’ a whole new flock of chicks who were outgrowing those horrible colors and not so cute anymore.

One year I had a duckling dumped on me and that was the poopiest living creature I’ve ever seen, bar none. Even territorial bunnies in the middle of a poop war had nothing on this bird. She would even lay eggs in her water pool and fill it up with poop. I can’t imagine someone buying one as an Easter gift. Yuck.

[LilynJestersMama]

Well I decided to also send emails to this pet store’s two locations.

The same person may get them both and just hit ‘delete’, but I felt better letting them know just how irresponsible their Easter-time business practices are and I also reminded them of where all these cute Easter pets will end up- many will die within the first year due to poor care, others will be set free (where they’ll die or be killed by predators- they have no survival skills) and the rest will end up in shelters (that are already inundated with bunnies who need homes).

If my email makes them think about it for just a second, I feel better.  I know they are still going to make big bucks off of these poor chicks and bunnies.

I will do more in my quest to curb the Easter season ignorance out there.

2lops- good idea on the free online ads

Beka and kral- People have noooooooo idea how dirty they are.  You’re right, just where do the city folk keep them once they buy them??  Their backyards?  Ugh, the whole thing is crazy. 

Maybe we will start to see some positive change in the coming years……I sure hope so.

 

[Holly]

I think it was around Easter time one year when a duck was dropped off at our farm. It just suddenly appeared. My grandma and the duck hit it off. Grandma called her Miss. Wings. They were inseparable. Miss. Wings would wait outside the house for grandma to come out, and then she would follow her all over the farm. It was sad that she was dropped off, but I’m glad whom ever dropped her off dropped her off at my grandma’s house.

[LittlePuffyTail]

It’s terrible how pet stores “stock up” on bunnies. I have never seen chicks at the local pet stores but it wouldn’t surprise me if they started. You want a chick or a bunny for Easter, there are lots of Stuffed Ones that won’t feel the neglect and loneliness that usually occurs after an impulse purchase.

Speaking of MMC, I always put up posters in my area. Thanks for reminding me. I’m gonna put them out this week. I always proudly sport my MMC Bunny Pin which always brings up a conversation. I gotta dig that out and put in on my jacket.

[Scarlet_Rose]

I just thought of another idea – Put the poster up in your car window too.

[MimzMum]

That poem just added to my extreme funk at reading about Rucy just now.

I have my button ready to go wherever I go. I am so glad my local PETCO isn’t selling bunnies anymore.

Anything for money. That’s all it’s about. And the poor animals suffer. It’s so wrong on so many levels.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Yup, your exactly right Mimzmum: Animals suffer so greedy people can make money.

There was a big rally in my City this weekend trying to change the Canadian laws regarding animals. Many hundreds of people attended (including yours truly!). We’re trying to change the laws that were made in 1890 (umm.. I think it’s time we update it) that state that animals are property. Animals are not property. They should not come with a price tag attached.

For anyone who remembers my post about the guy who killed his 5 pomeranians with a hammer, this is what sparked the big rally. People are starting to realize that animals deserve rights too.

Sorry I got a bit off topic there.

[Dave]

It is difficult for me to see any type of advertisement like that.  It is difficult because, chances are, I will be fostering it later on when the owner gets rid of it.  I can’t save every animal people neglect.  I can’t save every animal people abandon.  All I can do is voice my opinion and make sure the future is a lot brighter for 1 rabbit at a time.  I can sleep well at night knowing I have helped adopt out 3 fantastic rabbits to fantastic homes.  I love what I do.  I love watching an animal open up after strong consistent care and attention.  It pains me to think about the conditions some animals endure throughout their lives, but it also brings a smile to my face that there are other people out there like me plugging along helping one animal at a time.  Sometimes it seems bleak but I have to hold on to the thought that people are inherantly good. 

[LilynJestersMama]

I know what you mean……we can’t save them all unfortunately.

I think all we can do is try to educate people.

We should all be proud of the fact that we’re providing good homes to our bunnies.  This forum is so cool because people are constantly trying to learn from others how they can provide even better care to their bunnies. 

Thank YOU and all the others who work so hard to rescue bunnies in need! 

 

[Sarita]

You might check your local animal ordinances about the chicks – one of our cities has an ordinance against coloring chicks and ducks.

[Sarita]

http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp

Here is the animal code for Phoenix, Arizona – I’m not certain however where the petstores are that you are talking about only that you state you are in Phoenix..so maybe this will help you.

It’s under Chapter 8 animlas since the link doesn’t take you directly to the article. 

Section 8-4:

Sec. 8-4.  Selling, dyeing, or coloring baby chickens, ducklings or young rabbits.
It shall be unlawful for any person to sell, offer for sale, barter or give away baby chickens or ducklings under five weeks of age or rabbits under two months of age in less than one dozen lots as premiums, novelties, prizes, pets or toys, or to color, dye, stain or otherwise change the natural color of baby chickens or duckling or rabbits, or to bring or transport the same into the City; provided, that this section shall not be construed to prohibit the sale or display of baby chickens or ducklings or rabbits in proper facilities that comply with the provisions of the Sanitary Code or other rules and regulations of the Board of Health by breeders and those engaged in the business of selling for commercial breeding and raising purposes.
(Code 1962, § 8-5)

[LilynJestersMama]

Wow, what a great resource…….these two pet stores are located out of Phoenix (maybe they did that for a reason) in smaller neighboring cities and I searched the code for both cities and there is no code against what they are doing.  Darn….

[KytKattin]

I’m definitely going to post a couple of those posters around my school and maybe even at the park where I found Nova (even if they do essentially encourage people to drop off rabbits). While I got Nova last year before Easter (April 13th) I can only imagine that in the following weeks many more rabbits ended up abandoned and most likely not with the happy ending she has. Pet stores like my local feed stores won’t let me post those, but maybe Petco will since they have a rabbit rescue.

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