The Chocolate Easter Bunny Campaign

This year, many live bunnies will be given to children as Easter gifts. These bunnies may end up in poor living conditions where they may become sick, unhealthy, and improperly cared for. Many others will end up in crowded shelters or being released into the wild where their life spans will be very short due to predation and an inability to survive in the wild.

Take it from me. My parents got me and my siblings live rabbits for Easter one year. They were very cute, for sure, but it was sad that all they could do were sit in their cages. My cousin accidentally left their gate open one day (according to my parents), and we never saw them again. We had lots of dogs, and to this day it still saddens and disturbs me to think of their fate. We got baby ducklings one year, too, which we released in the wild, and they doubtfully survived, either.

So don't get your children live animals for Easter, unless you are prepared beforehand to do what it takes to take care of them and have done your research on how to do so. The Columbia House Rabbit Society has an ongoing campaign to convince people to make their Easter bunnies chocolate (By buying chocolate Easter bunnies). It's tasty, kids love it, and you won't be harming any animals by purchasing it. Another option is to get your children stuffed animal bunnies, which are cute, cuddly, and can't be killed. If your children really want live bunnies for Easter, you can always tell them something like "They're the Easter Bunny's helpers, and the Easter Bunny doesn't want them to be kept in cages", or something along those lines. You can also get them a gift for Easter, like a DVD or a Barbie they've been begging you to buy to keep their minds off of not getting a live bunny.

It may seem like an easy task to take care of live rabbits, but, as is the case with many pets, you may find the ongoing expense of taking care of them (especially if they end up sick) and the fact that your kids will get tired of them fairly quickly (they're not like dogs; they can't play fetch with them) not worth putting the lives of these animals at risk.

So this Easter, keep the bunnies safe. Fill your children's Easter baskets with goodies, hide their eggs, and tell them that that's the way the Easter Bunny says Easter should be.