Tuesday, March 25, 2014 – New York, NY – Easter bunnies are not a happy bunch. Nor, in many cases, are the families that acquire them.
Taking care of rabbits and socializing them takes a lot of time and effort — something parents who buy the cuddly pets for their children do not always realize. Nor are they always aware of their new pets’ prolific breeding habits. Suddenly there are litters of baby bunnies and new owners quickly start to feel in over their heads.
Many end up releasing their new pets outdoors, unaware that domestic rabbits cannot survive in the wild. Other owners give the pets up to animal shelters like Animal Care & Control of NYC (AC&C) and its rabbit adoption partner, NYC Metro Rabbit, the adoption program of Rabbit Rescue & Rehab. These organizations alone take in roughly 600 rabbits each year, making rabbits the third-largest animal shelter population after cats and dogs.
Anyone adopting from a rescue group or shelter receives a rabbit who already has been spayed or neutered. And now, even New Yorkers who have bought “intact” rabbits from pet shops can have their new pets spayed or neutered at no cost through the FREE Rabbit Spay/Neuter Clinic being offered jointly by the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals and the Humane Society of New York.
The free clinic will be held on Saturday, April 5, at the Humane Society of New York Animal Clinic (306 East 59th Street, between 1st and 2nd Avenues). Appointments must be made in advance by calling (212) 752-4842, and rabbit owners will be asked to bring their rabbits in for a free check-up a few days before the surgery. More rabbit spay/neuter clinics are planned; New Yorkers can check the Alliance website for information about future clinics.
Jane Hoffman, president of the Alliance, encourages New Yorkers who are considering adding a bunny or two to their families to adopt from rescue groups and shelters instead of buying rabbits from pet stores.
“Adopting offers many advantages,” explains Hoffman. “Like all New York City shelter animals, shelter rabbits are spayed or neutered before they are given to their adopters. And adoption counselors are terrific at matching people with pets and providing guidance on how to care for rabbits, which is very different from caring for cats and dogs.”
Among the many places New Yorkers can adopt rabbits are the Humane Society of New York; the Manhattan location of Animal Care & Control of NYC (AC&C); Petco’s East 86th Street and Union Square stores, which have rabbits and adoption counselors from NYC Metro Rabbit; and Brooklyn’s Sean Casey Animal Rescue.
About the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals®
The Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity that works with more than 150 partner rescue groups and shelters to offer important programs and services that save the lives of NYC’s homeless animals. We are supported entirely by donations from foundations, corporations, and individuals and receive no government funding. Since our founding in 2003, we have remained committed to transforming New York City into a no-kill community by 2015, meaning that no dogs or cats of reasonable health and temperament will be killed merely because they do not have homes. www.AnimalAllianceNYC.org
About the Humane Society of New York
Since 1904 the Humane Society of New York has been a presence in New York City, reaching out to animals in need when illness, injury, or homelessness strikes. Open 7 days a week, today its hospital and The Vladimir Horowitz and Wanda Toscanini Horowitz Adoption Center help more than 38,000 animals annually. HSNY’s adoption Center provides safe haven — with no time limit — for rescued animals while permanent adoptive homes are found. The clinic provides low-cost and funded veterinary services, including critical care for animals who would otherwise have nowhere to turn for life-giving help. To support the community, HSNY offers a range of free and low/cost spay/neuter options to protect animals’ health and prevent pet overpopulation. www.HumaneSocietyNY.org
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