Chocolate bunnies are best
March 20th, 2008 by admin
Easter is this Sunday, and the advice from local humane societies and our state wildlife agency is that chocolate bunnies and stuffed-animals are much better gifts for children than live animals. Unfortunately, animal shelters are preparing for those people who don’t get the message.
Judy LaRose, director at the SPCA Wildlife Care Center in Fort Lauderdale, told the Sun-Sentinel that they expect to see unwanted rabbits a few months following Easter, “We’ll start seeing rabbits that people want to surrender or just abandon on our doorstep because the novelty has worn off.” In the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Susie Soule, director of the Southeast Volusia Humane Society in New Smyrna Beach, shared similar fears, “We usually see an influx a couple of months after when the chicks and bunnies have grown and people don’t want to be bothered with them anymore.” Animals brought to animal shelters may be the lucky ones. “Easter bunnies” are often placed in a backyard cage and ignored. Others are abandoned in the wild, a likely death sentence for domesticated animals.
What about ducklings? The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued a news release on Monday reminding Floridians that ducklings should never be gifts. The FWC noted that buying mallard ducks is often against the law, and releasing them into the wild is always prohibited (mallard ducks threaten Florida’s native mottled duck population).
One more thing. It is illegal in Florida to dye or color artificially any animal, including rabbits, baby chickens and ducklings. If you see pink, blue or bright yellow baby animals for sale or on display in Florida, please contact ARFF.