Each year, as Easter approaches, families and children participate in the beloved traditions of Easter by having Easter egg hunts and dying boiled eggs in colorful shells. Unfortunately, some families out there will impulsively purchase bunnies and ducklings and treat them as a one-day gift, often leading to the tragic outcomes of these animals ending up being neglected and abandoned in animal shelters.
Knowing this, it is crucial to address this disturbing trend and what ends up happening to these animals after being abandoned. Many animal shelters will experience a dramatic uptick in the number of bunnies, ducklings, and even chickens seeking new homes. For example, data sourced from the Solano County Animal Shelter website as of April 1st, 2025, shows in a section labeled as pets they have found shows 2 chickens both found on the same day and a rabbit. Waiting to be reclaimed by their owners, whether or not this is a case of owners abandoning them or neglecting is undetermined. However, it is a real example of other shelters finding chickens and rabbits abandoned on the streets.
Further research dug from the Erie Area Rabbit Society and Rescue reveals that “4 out of 5 rabbits purchased as pets for easter are abandoned or die within a year”. It’s an alarming issue for families who fail to do their research before purchasing. When buying a rabbit or any exotic animal different from a dog or cat, it is important to do research prior to finding out if it is the right animal for you, as rabbits need special care and are a long-lasting commitment for at most 10+ years. The same can be said for ducklings as they require hard work to maintain, and their “trending cuteness” wears off quickly as within 60 days, they are fully grown and sexually mature, which may make them aggressive. They just like rabbits are also at most a 10+ year commitment and both also require a wide range of space to roam with constant access to fresh water and food according to Metzer Farms website, a local Duck, Goose, & chicken hatchery located in Gonzales, CA.
And so, it is common for parents not to consider the responsibilities that come with taking care of any animal. Especially when they have young children in reach of these animals, chicks and ducklings are practically fragile, only being a few days old around the time they are purchased and can sprang anything in their body easily, when in contact with young children there is a risk of easily dieing from their overhandling if they are not supervised by their parents.
The need for education when it comes to pet ownership is crucial as they are a long-lasting commitment. Olivia Rubio, a student at Armijo, shares her personal experience with owning a bunny, and when hearing the truth about what happens to them after easter, she was nothing but left shocked. “Really?, That honestly breaks my heart to hear about that. Oh my god.” She emphasizes by seeing rabbits as not toys but as living creatures with thoughts and feelings. “I agree with hearing about 4 out of 5 rabbits dying within a year. I was just a kid when I got my bunny, and I can say we didn’t do research beforehand because we just didn’t know.” Olivia’s comment reveals that she herself was one of those kids who received a bunny as a gift without doing research prior.
It is unfortunate that many, such as Olivia, had no idea what easter can mean for countless baby ducklings and bunnies after the holiday. However, by choosing to adopt an alternative, it can save lives and lower the demand for these animals. Organizations like PETA protest against consumers proclaiming “the only bunny who belongs in an easter basket is one who’s stuffed or made of vegan chocolate.” it is, however a personal choice whether or not to buy a vegan version of chocolate bunnies but what shouldn’t be a personal choice is buying live animals. Business insider also agrees in the topic stating “These are live animals. It isint funny. Its a sad state of affairs that we see them as almost disposable, like a trinket you have at a holiday.”
The alternative parents should learn to adopt is rather gifting children plushies of ducks and bunnies and giving them treats of chocolate bunnies and marshmallow peeps rather than bringing home animals. Another thing to do to celebrate easter is fun activities such as going to a petting zoo or the park where kids can have fun petting and feeding animals instead of parents dealing with having to take care of it at the end of the day.
