Sweet was a little rabbit who was given as a gift to a little girl for Easter whose parents were feeling a little guilty about their divorce. The boy also had a bunny. The children were split up and moved, and eventually thought the rabbits were a bother. A neighbor took them in. That would have been a noble thing to do, except for the fact that the neighbor also had 17 dogs and several cats all in a home with no more than square feet in living space. Terrified, the rabbit with no name cowered. Her ears never seemed to be erect, and her little feet were niddled on from below.
Luckily, I was able to get to her and her brother bun in time before all the animals went to the pound. This was sweet when I took her picture in someone’s hands.

This is Sweet, after some good food and lots of love from the nice folks at Gainesville Rabbit Rescue. Her eyes sparkle, and who would have known about the unusual spots on her ears? Sweet now has a wonderful home with a great owner and another sweet and mild mannered bun as a companion. I remember the report of the first “meeting.” Her new guardian brought their existing rabbit with them to meet Sweet, and they started grooming eachother. A lifelong bond was created.

Please think twice before giving a bunny as a gift this Easter.
I know it is tempting to be want to be a “hero” by giving a very memorable gift, but please resist. Rabbits require a lifetime commitment. They live far longer than most people think they do. They have stress and illness signs that are very different or at least much harder to detect by an owner than a dog or cat, as rabbits, as prey, are masterful about hiding illness until its too late. Sweet’s companion in the original house, Hamlet, could have died if left much longer, as his bowels were impacted already.
For more information, please visit http://MakeMineChocolate.Org . Also, if you are looking to adopt, there are a number of great rescues I can recommend! Please send me a note or comment with your home state and I will do my best to steer you. To read the story of the rabbit Sweet was rescued with, CLICK HERE.
If you have researched for a long time and have decided that a house rabbit is right for you, please wait until after the holiday when unwanted bunnies, especially when they are a few months older and start maturing, are dumped at the shelters as someone didn’t realize what they were getting into.
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houndsgood Posted in
Over the past year, I have received many emails asking me to protest the decision various chains have made on selling rabbits as pets. Chains that have typically taken the stand against selling dogs and cats, like Petco or Petsmart, have continued to sell rabbits. Because rabbits are the third most euthanized species at shelters, and they often suffer because owners did not research their care, they often suffer silently. A neighbor might notice the declining condition of a dog, but never know a house rabbit is there. 
(At left: “Boy Bunny,” now named Hamlet in the sad state we found him in)