After years of keeping quiet, it is now my turn to complain about irresponsible pet rabbit owners, or should I call you, evil abandonment experts!
Again, today, another dumped rabbit has shown up on my small farm. At the moment, I now have two endangered pet rabbits that I am hampered with ensuring some sort of safety. I do not want this and do not enjoy this. But I feel compelled to try and prevent savage death.
The first one this year, was a tiny baby bunny, just like the pet stores sell. English Spots, I think they are. It showed up just after Easter. Now, an adult rabbit is around. They hang with all the wild ones looking for breeding potential.
You must understand that these lovely pet rabbits are now trying desperately to live amongst hunting terriers and high prey drive sheep dogs.
What could have possessed you to buy such beautiful baby pet rabbits and then dump them, to try and survive in a world they are not meant to be? That is just nasty. Shame on you.
Over the years, I can count 12 pets dumped to their guaranteed demise, only to show up here, trying to live a safe life. They are not built to run and escape like their wild relatives. They are slow, clumpy and ignorant of the wilds around them. Even domestic dogs can make a savage mess of their death. I hope that my dogs are not going to be involved. I have no idea what happened to all the others and thank goodness my dogs did not manage to catch them. Unfortunately, thanks to my diligence, rabbit gates through all my sheep fences, and vigilance of my dogs, someone else was stuck dealing with the death of your rabbits.
It has only been by my constant supervision that I have not been the unlucky spectator of their death. I am sick and tired of taking care of your responsibility.
So, for those others of you that think it’s cute and fun to get children a baby bunny, think long and hard about the time and care it will take to teach your children responsible pet ownership. I am sure they would not think well of you when they understand that the loving pet, that disappeared, has been left to be destroyed by dogs, raccoons, weasels, eagles and even cars, or frustrated neighbors who decided a BB gun could make quick work of a problem they did not want.
Pet store rabbits are just that, pets. Treat them as such.
V. Scott
Sooke