Petco Ceases Sale of Rabbits

[Bunnies4ever]

PETCO Ceases Sale of Rabbits

RICHMOND, CA (November 17, 2008). House Rabbit Society (HRS) is delighted to announce that PETCO has decided to cease its sale of rabbits in all PETCO stores. PETCO will begin phasing rabbits out of its stores immediately and as of early 2009, the only rabbits available at PETCO stores should be rabbits from shelters or rescue organizations.

HRS, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing rabbits and educating the public about proper rabbit care, blames thousands of cases of rabbit neglect, abandonment, and euthanasia on impulse purchases of rabbits at pet stores.  

Because PETCO is one of the largest pet supply chains in the United States, its decision to stop all rabbit sales will have an enormous impact on the plight of surplus and homeless rabbits in this country, and HRS applauds PETCO’s intelligent decision.

HRS also applauds the work of animal welfare groups around the country who have been urging PETCO for years to stop the sale of rabbits, birds, and other animals in their stores. The work of these groups has no doubt played an important part in PETCO’s decision. In addition, local rabbit rescue groups have also been instrumental in this decision, through their work in establishing rabbit adoption programs in their local communities, and ending the sale of rabbits in those regions with adoption programs.

As the world’s largest rabbit rescue organization, and with a website that gets over a million hits per week, House Rabbit Society has played a leading role in rescuing and placing abandoned rabbits around the world. As of 2008, HRS volunteers have rescued over 20,000 rabbits, the vast majority of whom were originally purchased through pet stores and breeders. 

HRS encourages PETCO to reach out to animal rescue groups and animal shelters all across the country in order to help those organizations adopt out their homeless rabbits, birds, and small animals. PETCO can, and should, play a leading role in rehoming, rather than selling, adoptable animals in all of their stores, and HRS hopes that PETCO will use responsible criteria in screening adopters, and providing them with educational materials.

House Rabbit Society looks forward to working with PETCO to shine a spotlight on the plight of unwanted rabbits, and to help end the euthanasia of rabbits in our nation’s shelters.

 

House Rabbit Society is an international, volunteer-based nonprofit organization with two primary goals: 1) to rescue abandoned rabbits and find permanent homes for them; 2) to educate the public and assist humane societies in teaching proper rabbit care.

[Sarita]

How funny, I just posted about this in the Lounge area

 

Here’s a link with a video from Petco:

http://www.petconews.com/

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

WOOT!!!!!! *happy dancing*

[rabbitsmba]

Hop Hop Hooray!

[Beka27]

awesome news… but may i ask a question? didn’t they stop selling rabbits before and then start up again? same thing with petsmart, didn’t they stop and there was fanfare, then start again and there was a big backlash? i swear there was something about that on BB maybe a year ago or so… maybe i’m thinking of something else?

[Sarita]

I think you are thinking of Petsmart Beka – Petco has always sold rabbits at various stores throughout the country (not all stores but some stores). Petsmart had started then stopped but it was for a very short time from what I understand.

[KatnipCrzy]

I believe that both Petco and Petsmart also stopped selling Large parrots- which is a huge success for the parrots.  Parrots were in the same situation as the rabbits- even though they were a lot more expensive.  Some species of parrot- such as Cockatoo are loud, demanding and have precise needs and behavorial guidelines.  <—— Sounds just like bunnies except for the loud part!!

It has been at least a year since our local Petco has had bunnies for sale- but I remember thinking “OMG”! when I saw the price.  I think rabbits were $50- and I don’t think they were spayed or neutered (pretty sure NOT).  Of course I am sure it is expensive to house and feed them for so long- and as they get bigger- I would assume they would have to reduce the price.  And these were typical short haired rabbits- common breeds like Dutch, Netherland, Mini Rex, etc….    Lionhead rabbits in our area used to be about $100 about 2 years or so ago..thru other petstores, now thru ads on pet store bulletin boards Lionhead baby buns are $5.  I guess that is why rabbits have the “humping” reputation- they obviously are not unusual in our area at all anymore.

[Alicia Conklin]

My petsmart (and all that I have seen around here) don’t sell rabbits.  Petco did but they were always spayed or neutered..and cost 79.95.   The unfortunate thing about it here is that there is still a small pet shop that regularly has rabbits and those rabbits are NOT spayed or neutered and cost only 30.00 which means that a lot of people are going to now get their rabbits from that place and I am sure some if not most are already pregnant because they keep them all together.  The nearest rabbit rescue is over an hour away and I live in a military town and a lot of the families seem to buy things (animals included) on mere impulse.  It’s quite sad around here actually and there is so many strays because when the military families leave most times they just dump their pets. 

[Beka27]

okay, Petco was selling the speutered buns, that must be what i was thinking! oh yes, and PetSmart, they’re the ones who kept flip-flopping… well i’m glad they’re doing this now. this is a great step. i hope they provide some form of rabbit education in addition to the adoptions (and stop selling the teeny tiny cages!)

[Erbear]

here’s another link to a story about it… with a few more bunnies to look at of course!

http://kstp.com/article/stories/S663943.shtml

Rocky and Remy (in the harnesses) are up for adoption…hint hint hint….

[MimzMum]

Hogeeze…you guys have it cheap down there, our Petco is only selling speutered rabbits for $99.95! 0_o The price frosts me, but I would guess it’s to discourage people from using them for snake food.

Of course, if they go to adoption only, I can bet that will start up again.

[BunnyLiz]

YAY!!! Such good news!

[RachelF]

there is a bunny rescue that comes to my petco every saturday. they are actually volunteers at the local humane society, and some of the rabbits are fostered by the HRS.

what a turn around! *does happy dance*

[Beka27]

i’m gonna need to stop into my local petco. i don’t think i’ve ever seen them selling bunnies (ferrets yes, but no buns that i saw.) i’m curious to know if they’ve hooked up with a rescue.

[jerseygirl]

I’ve been thinking if we could somehow influence further change for other chain line pet stores.

My thought is; if members were to email PETCO congratulating them on this decision and our approval of their affiliation with rabbit rescues. Also, making a special note that we now recommend PETCO are one of the places to go for people looking to get a rabbit. Free publicity for them in a way…more customers visiting the store etc. Then hoping their competitors would catch on and what a good move it has been for business. Flow on effect.

Do think that’s possible?

[Author]

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