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Editorial Note: This article originally appeared in The Weekly Choice on March 24, 2005.
Easter can be a crazy time of year for many families, and although I’d bet that several of you are laughing at that very sentence that I just wrote before you, I stick by my word because in this day and age, our collective efforts tend to lead towards the crazy side more and more! Even on National Pretzel Day (April 26th – mark your calendars!), you’ll find men and women rushing out to the store in troves to pick-up last minute quantities of nearly every variety of pretzel known to man – sourdough, chocolate-covered with sprinkles, you name it! And it’s only days before Easter Sunday this year that I’m actually hoping that you’ve put off a portion of your holiday spending to make this important ethical announcement all the more worthwhile…
Please do not buy your son or daughter a pet bunny rabbit this year for Easter unless you know what you’re doing!
It’s a common mistake that really doesn’t have much impact on the other holidays (i.e. pumpkins for Halloween = still ok), and yet year after year we still hear the same stories over and over again about not having the proper living arrangements for such an animal, or trying to get rabbit droppings out of the carpet, or ultimately having to get rid of the pet days later, leaving the child in tears – sure, it sounds like a great idea at the time, folks, but in reality it’s simply not worth it. While the situation may be plausible for those who live on the farm (and even then, the last thing Papa likely wants is another varmint chewing on his crops!), the majority of us who live in-town simply don’t have the facilities to keep bunnies in the manner to which they’ve become accustomed, especially when you factor in that Little Lucy is going to want to keep her new best friend in her room from the moment that she is introduced – do I even need to go into the crazy antics that can sprout from this kind of arrangement?!
Each year there are always a few people that overlook these suggestions and follow through regardless, and end up simply releasing their animals into the wild when reality sets in and things come into focus – and of course, this is bad for both the animals themselves and the forests / woodlands / neighbor’s garden where they are released. Just as you wouldn’t buy your son a reindeer for Christmas or one of Yogi’s cousins for International Polar Bear Day (February 27th – catch the fever next year!), it’s just not a good idea to be bringing a Peter Cottontail-replica home this weekend…especially when there are already so many chocolaty alternatives at your beck and call as it is! Take it from me, the kids smiles will light-up just as bright when unwrapping that chocolate bunny on Easter morning…and even more so when they discover that you even sprung for the solid one instead of those hollow look-a-likes, so heed my words of wisdom, go forth and enjoy a wonderful, PETA-friendly Easter!
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