Newspaper Report

Don't usher in Year of the (dumped) Rabbits
Animal rights groups worry people will buy bunnies for good luck, only to desert them later
By Amanda Tan

Four-year-old dwarf rabbits at the SPCA. In 1999, the last Year of the Rabbit, there were 625 abandoned rabbits, about 340 more than the year before. -- ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

ANIMAL rights groups are bracing themselves for more abandoned rabbits as the new year - the Year of the Rabbit - rolls around.

They fear people will buy the animals believing they will bring good luck, but will then be unable to look after them.

Abandoned pet rabbits often die slow and painful deaths, as they are not used to surviving in the wild.

In 1999, the last Year of the Rabbit, the number of abandoned rabbits hit 625, about 340 more than the year before, said the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). Groups such as the House Rabbit Society of Singapore (HRSS) and the SPCA, as well as the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority, are concerned that the trend will repeat itself as more people buy the animals.

'People have this misconception that having a live rabbit in the house during the Year of the Rabbit is auspicious,' said Ms Jacelyn Heng, president of HRSS.

'Thus, these people will generally want to purchase this 'luck' for their friends and family. We at HRSS and SPCA are extremely worried about the abandonment rate as a result of this.'

Read the full story in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.

Source: Straitstimes.com