The unregulated breeding, promotion, and selling of intact, cute baby rabbits, mostly through retail pet stores, such as Petcetera, is the main contributing factor in the abandonment of these "pets." So why does the BC SPCA, an animal welfare organization which exists to prevent cruelty, partner with a company whose business practices perpetuate both inhumane attitudes and the keeping of a variety of caged animals? Rabbits can reproduce about every thirty days, and the SPCA refers to them as the "multiplying champion" so one would think that they wouldn't be "adopted" intact. Not so; as of Sunday there were several very obviously unaltered males available at the Surrey branch. Because of the huge surplus, and the fact that adult rabbits have proven over the years not to be in demand, many have also been killed. And until last month the Vancouver SPCA was using lab cages to hold rabbits as well. This is most definitely not animal welfare or leadership.

Discarded domestic rabbits can be found everywhere and rescue/advocacy groups handle more of them than all of the Lower Mainland SPCA branches combined. More often though than not, and without a second thought, they are simply dumped outdoors after becoming inconvenient or costly, a dismal commentary about human society.

Carmina Gooch
Rabbit Advocacy Group of BC
North Vancouver

Rabbit cages at the Surrey SPCA. These timid prey-animals are kept within sound and smell of their predators, dogs and cats....