Penny Stone wants to clear up some rabbit misconceptions.

They require more responsibility than a cat, their cages should be cleaned daily and a pet rabbit can live a very long time.

B次元官网网址淣othing irks me more than someone saying itB次元官网网址檚 a B次元官网网址榮tarter petB次元官网网址� for a child to see if they are responsible, before they trade up for a cat or a dog,B次元官网网址� said Stone, branch manager of the Victoria SPCA. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a life. You canB次元官网网址檛 just use them and dispose of them.B次元官网网址�

Unfortunately, thatB次元官网网址檚 a reality in Greater Victoria where rabbits have become a community problem, as irresponsible pet owners abandon their animals in public places like parks and the University of Victoria. Stone often sees families come in looking to B次元官网网址渢rade upB次元官网网址� from a rabbit to a cat or dog. She says pet owners B次元官网网址� parents especially B次元官网网址� need to realize that ownership lasts the animalB次元官网网址檚 lifetime, not just until your child gets bored with it.

B次元官网网址淚 hate Easter,B次元官网网址� Stone said, acknowledging the flood of parents who come in frantically looking to adopt a rabbit because theyB次元官网网址檒l make an adorable present. B次元官网网址淏uy a chocolate rabbit, buy a stuffed rabbit B次元官网网址� donB次元官网网址檛 get a real one just for the sake of it being a cute Easter gift.B次元官网网址�

The SPCA doesnB次元官网网址檛 allow for rabbit adoptions in the weeks leading up to Easter to prevent this type of ownership.

B次元官网网址淚n two or three months weB次元官网网址檒l be flooded with even more (rabbits) because of the people who will go to a pet store to buy one, then dispose of it when they realize how much responsibility they require.B次元官网网址�

UVic knows what results from irresponsible ownership. Over the last two decades, rabbits were routinely dropped off on campus and their population skyrocketed to an estimated 1,600.

Last month, the school officially became rabbit free. All the animals they could find were sent to sanctuaries (save for 100 that were killed in May 2010) and now the school has taken the stance that any rabbit found will be killed.

Though she doesnB次元官网网址檛 agree with the school killing rabbits, Stone says she understands UVicB次元官网网址檚 position.

Saanich is also working at preventing such a situation from happening again. Council last month adopted a number of rabbit bylaws, including a requirement for all rabbits sold to be sterilized. The animalB次元官网网址檚 owners are also banned from abandoning their pets in the wild.

Stone hopes the changes at UVic and in Saanich will permeate through to the SPCA, minimizing the number of rabbits dropped off on the agencyB次元官网网址檚 doorstep.

Danielle Molyneaux, manager at PetB次元官网网址檚 West in Broadmead Village, says they havenB次元官网网址檛 adopted out rabbits at Easter for more than a dozen years because those animals are typically bought for their short-term novelty.

B次元官网网址淎 lot of people think, B次元官网网址楨aster, rabbit, cute gift.B次元官网网址� But they donB次元官网网址檛 think about the cleaning of the cage, the feeding and watering every single day, the possible vet visits, getting it out of a cage for an hour or two a day or the fact that they can live upwards of 12 years,B次元官网网址� she said.

Stone says no animal should be abandoned. If an owner realizes he or she canB次元官网网址檛 look after a pet anymore, call the SPCA rather than simply dropping it off on their doorstep.

B次元官网网址淧eople donB次元官网网址檛 want to say theyB次元官网网址檙e giving up their animals, but itB次元官网网址檚 the most humane thing to do for the animalB次元官网网址檚 sake,B次元官网网址� Stone said. B次元官网网址淭he life of a rabbit is just as valuable as the life of a dog or a cat or a horse. Society considers small animals the most disposable, but thatB次元官网网址檚 got to change.B次元官网网址�

kslavin@saanichnews.com

Rabbit facts

B次元官网网址� Rabbits are self-ovulators, meaning each time a rabbit mates, so long as the femaleB次元官网网址檚 fertile, she will get pregnant.

B次元官网网址� Young rabbits need to be separated into sexes, because they can start breeding with their siblings or parents when theyB次元官网网址檙e two months old.

B次元官网网址� Rabbits can be sterilized only after theyB次元官网网址檙e four months old.

B次元官网网址� Some pet stores canB次元官网网址檛 properly identify the rabbitB次元官网网址檚 sex, and if you buy two B次元官网网址渇emalesB次元官网网址� you may wind up with a male and female B次元官网网址� which will be problematic if theyB次元官网网址檙e not sterile.