Most rabbits are bought on impulse with absolutely no understanding as to their care, and subsequently abandoned once they are no longer wanted. Most often people choose to dump them outdoors since that's most convenient. As prolific breeders, a rabbit's gestation period averages 30 days.

So it was good news when Petcetera announced with great fanfare earlier this year that it would discontinue selling rabbits in all its BC stores by September 1st, and instead, stock its stores with sterilized rabbits provided by the SPCA.

While the good news is that this is true of Lower Mainland stores, the bad news is that breeders are still supplying the stores in the rest of the province with baby bunnies.

Letters and phone calls regarding this issue to both Petcetera and the BC SPCA haven't been responded to. Maybe legislation will help, but one thing is certain, the rabbits always pay the price of human behaviour.

Carmina Gooch
North Vancouver
www.rabbitadvocacyanimalmatters.ca