Dear Madam/Sir:
Thank you for your reply to my letter regarding the rabbits you use for your promotional publicity. I am, as you have suggested, sending along some information for your consideration when selecting adopting families for the rabbits when your shoots are completed.
One issue you have not addressed is that of neutering the rabbits. If these rabbits are given out unaltered, there is a great likelihood of them reproducing. As I mentioned in my letter, this often becomes a problem that results in catastrophe for the future generations of rabbits. As you have stated, the families you choose have adopted previously, and sometimes are also farmers...these could well be places where these people will breed the rabbits for purposes of selling them as meat. These above stated problems would be circumvented by spaying/neutering them before you give them to prospective adopters.
In your letter of suggestions to new owners, you suggest that the rabbits will need a cage large enough for the rabbit to move around in - minimum 63cm X41 cm X 38cm, equivalent to: 24.8" X 16" X 14.9" On the same sheet, you give a link to a site: House Rabbit Society. If you will check on this site, you will find that this organization to which you refer ABHORS cages for rabbits usually found in pet shops of: 24" X 18" - which is even smaller than the ones you recommend.
I am sure that you are very conscientious and do wish to find good homes for the rabbits you use in your promotions. However, a screening process that does not include a home check will never be sufficient in choosing the best place for a living, sentient being. I have been involved with animal rescue and welfare for a long time now, and I have seen for myself that an applicant will say or write whatever facts are necessary in order to adopt an animal. Without checking the home and facilities for ourselves, there is no way to know just how that animal will be kept and cared for.
If this vital portion of the screening is not part of the adoption process, the animals' well-being is never assured. Any reputable, honourable adopter must agree that they will go to these lengths to protect the helpless, vulnerable animal in their possession.
It is my sincere hope that you will give serious thought and take these ideas to heart; that the suggestions and thoughts I have presented will help you to make new decisions about the adoption process for the rabbits who are helping you and your business. Perhaps you may even consider replacing live bunnies with other, non-living, cute little stuffed animals for future promotions. Imagine a set where a child sits half-buried amongst 25 to 50 fuzzy imitation bunnies - one of which each of the subjects could take home with him or her for their special Easter friend! Thank you again for your openness in this matter.
Sincerely,
Diane Esther.
---- Original Message -----
From: Communication
To: infoplace@shaw.ca
Sent: Friday, January 30, 2009 6:27 AM
Subject: Magenta studio photo: response to your email
Good morning Mrs Esther,
There’s been false information circulating on the web. I want to assure you that our rabbits are in no way to be won or are presented as a prize of any kind. We do keep rabbits in our studios during the Easter period. At the end of that period, our rabbits are returned to our breeder’s farm, unless families among our customers want to adopt them. If families are interested in adopting the rabbits, we ask them a series of questions to make sure they are willing and aware of the consequences of having a rabbit as a pet. If we feel they are not serious enough, we do not accept their adoption request. We give the chosen families a document that gives them tips and helps them better understand the rabbit’s needs. I can assure you that the rabbits will only be adopted by willing, loving and very well prepared families.
All rabbits in our studios are taken care of daily by our employees. If we see that one of them is frightened by doing sessions with children, we simply stop doing sessions with this rabbit and we send it back to the breeder. All our staff receives a very complete procedure on how to take care of the rabbits while they are staying with us. A few employees have themselves adopted some of our rabbits and they are still happily living with them. Some of the previous adopters still come by regularly by our studios to give us updates on their furry friends.
There is no screening process in pet shops on buying rabbits but I can assure you that there is a very strict screening process at Magenta for bunny adoption and the adoption is not in any way related to Magenta’s Easter promotion.
Please see below the procedure we give our adoption families. This procedure below is NOT the screening process. It is simply a reminder we give to the CHOSEN families AFTER the screening process. To choose the families, we ask a lot of different questions related to the animal's needs and we also ask the people what motivates them to adopt our bunnies. We then choose our adoption families and we give them this document when they're ready to take them home.
May I suggest something: If you have any information you would like us to add to our screening process questionnaire or to the document we give the families, please feel free to send any information you want to my attention and we will gladly integrate them in our process. Most of the adoptions families have already had rabbits before, or are farmers well aware of the rabbit’s needs, etc. Most of our employees who took rabbits home live in the country and had rabbits before too. I can assure you are very careful in our process.
Also, I want to say that NO customers are allowed to touch the rabbits, even during a photo session. The rabbits are handled by our trained employees ONLY. If a child tries to touch the rabbit, we stop the photo shoot immediately. We respect this procedure for both the animal’s and the child’s safety.
Again, if you have valuable information you would like us to give our customers who are thinking about adopting rabbits, please do so.
Congratulations!
Your family is about to get bigger…
Adopting a rabbit is an exciting event but it does require responsibility. Here are a few things that you should consider before leaving with Click or Flash!
Preparation: A rabbit requires a few things
A cage large enough for the rabbit to move around : minimum 63 cm X 41 cm X 38 cm;
Water, either a bottle or bowl
A feeder or a bowl for food
Hay rack
Litter of either wood chips or grains
Hay (to gnaw down teeth);
Food for rabbits
Toys and accessories
Get information from a veterinarian about dietary supplements that will help you to have a healthy rabbit or visit http://www.rabbit.org.
Maintenance
Maintaining a clean cage, several times a week(and when needed)
Food and water changed everyday
Shower your rabbit with affection & attention
30 to 60 minutes free (outside cage) per day
Keep nails trimmed
By signing this document, I commit to respecting these basic rules. I will love my rabbit with all my heart and contribute to its long and happy life.
Name: ______________________________
Signature: ______________________________
Date: ____________________
Studio: ____________________
Best regards,
Émilie Gagné
Directrice des communications / Communication Director
Magenta Photo Studio
E-mail: communication@magentaphoto.com
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