Animal rescue groups and shelter officials are urging people not to buy live rabbits or baby chickens as Easter gifts for children as Sunday's holiday approaches.
Buying or adopting animals on a whim often leads to abandonment when the novelty wears off and families realize they're not equipped to properly care for the pets. Instead of a live animal, rescue groups recommend buying a stuffed toy bunny or chocolate candy rabbit for kids' Easter baskets.
Spokesman John Van Zante of the Rancho Coastal Humane Society, a nonprofit animal shelter in Encinitas, says rabbits can be terrific pets, but if you're only buying a bunny for Easter, the attraction wears off quickly. "Domestic rabbits live 8 to 12 years. That's a decade of everyday care ... for a pet your kids got tired of after two weeks," he says.
The attraction to baby chicks is also short-lived. A chick loses the fuzz and grows feathers. If it survives, it will become a fully grown hen or rooster.
"They start to act like chickens and turn into pecking, pooping machines," Van Zante said. "Your rooster will wake up your whole neighborhood by crowing every morning. Get ready for some angry neighbors. If you don't want an adult chicken living in your house or yard, don't get a baby chick."
Van Zante says that a few weeks after Easter, shelters nationwide are contacted by people who find stray bunnies in their yards. Some chew their way out of their pens. But in most cases, families get tired of taking care of them and turn them loose.
"I found my neighbor's rabbit in my yard. As he was telling me rabbits are wild animals and his rabbit would be fine, his white rabbit hopped over to me so I could pick it up. Domestic rabbits don't know about predators, and a white rabbit can't hide in the wild. With his permission I surrendered the rabbit to a rabbit rescue."
He says stuffed toys are a great alternative.
"You can get any kind of animal you want. They don't grow. They're more fun to snuggle with. You never have to feed them or clean up poo. You can take them anywhere. And they have unlimited life expectancy."
Sarah McFarlane, faith outreach coordinator for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, told City News Service that "Every single year, we receive so many reports of people buying bunnies or chicks for Easter and discarding them once the novelty wears off. Shelters are flooded with not only dogs and cats, but rabbits, who are the third most common pet in the shelters.
"Every time someone buys an animal from a breeder, a shelter animal loses a chance to find a loving home," she added. "Adding an animal companion to your family, this means a lifetime commitment. This means food and water, cleaning, exercise and veterinary care, and for rabbits that can be very expensive.
"When people are ready to add an animal to their family, PETA reminds them to always adopt, never buy from a breeder or pet store — and that goes for rabbits and chickens, too."
Rabbits are not low-maintenance pets. They require a specific diet, humane indoor housing in a bunny-proofed room, and veterinary care can be expensive. Rabbits are also not ideal pets for small children, as they respond best to quiet energy and can be easily spooked by the hyperactivity of a child.
For families who are prepared to adopt rabbits and put in the time needed to learn about their highly specific needs, more information can be found at houserabbit.org/care. The Rancho Coastal Humane Society is located at 389 Requeza St. in Encinitas, and can be reached at 760-753-6413 or sdpets.org.
Colleen O'Brien, senior vice president for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, told City News Service in 2025 that buying animals as gifts "teaches kids the dangerous lesson that these thinking, feeling individuals are toys that can be tossed aside when the children tire of them. Animal companions are a years-long commitment, not a holiday prop, and PETA urges everyone never to give any animal as a gift.
"When people are ready to add an animal to their family, PETA reminds them to always adopt, never buy from a breeder or pet store — and that goes for rabbits and chickens, too," she added.
