The proliferation of abandoned pet rabbits is an ever-increasing one and municipalities all over BC, and beyond, have problems similar to the ones in Richmond. Once a colony is established, it's next to impossible to eradicate.

As the principal animal welfare agency in BC the SPCA could lead by example and sterilize all its animals prior to adoption. Adult rabbits are very difficult to find homes for, and the surplus is far in excess of the demand so that's presumably one of the reasons that the Surrey SPCA, for example, has unaltered rabbits available for $20.00. Then, too, in all likelihood, more than a few of them are put down.

Rabbits do not make good "pets" as numerous people find out after making an impulse purchase of a cute little baby. In my many years of rabbit rescue and advocacy I've received hundreds of calls asking me if I could take a no-longer wanted rabbit. I'm often told that the rabbit was purchased at Petcetera, the largest retail pet store chain across Canada. Yet the BC SPCA continues to partner with this retailer, a deal made back in the late 90's. It's unthinkable that an organization which exists to prevent animal cruelty associates with a company whose business practices perpetuate both inhumane attitudes and the keeping of a variety of caged animals. Rabbits are generally considered a "starter" pet for a child, kept in a cage, often neglected, and then abandoned in one way or another after becoming inconvenient.

I've written to the BC SPCA many times regarding my concerns about rabbit welfare but so far little, if anything, has changed. It was only last month that the Vancouver branch finally removed its lab cages. In the current spring issue of the kids magazine, while mentioning that a rabbit cannot live in a cage without exercise time, it then states as a minimum, two hours of hopping about outside of the cage. Can this really be considered animal welfare, let alone leadership of any type?

The issues and the plight of rabbits as companion animals are many, as are the opinions on what to do. Meanwhile, as we discuss and ponder, the rabbits remain the victims.

Abandoned rabbits in Richmond and a sexually intact rabbit at the Surrey SPCA