Thinking of a pet rabbit this Easter? Think again, says rescue group

By Joe Manio - Lethbridge Herald on April 15, 2025.

Herald photo by Joe Manio Three-year-old Quinn Hemmerling feeds a carrot to Kevin, a lop-eared rescue rabbit, during Archie's Exotic Pet Rescue's "Bunnies and Buicks" meet and greet event on Saturday.

Easter is a bad time for pet rabbits bought as Easter gifts, especially during the months following Easter Sunday. After the novelty has worn off, many are surrendered to animal shelters, or worse, set free to fend for themselves.

“Rabbit dumping” is usually a death sentence for domesticated rabbits. That’s why Archie’s Exotic Pet Rescue, the only rabbit rescue organization in Lethbridge, is trying to save as many as they can.

“The problem is that many people see rabbits as disposable,” said Archie’s founder and president Lyss Koenig. “Here in Alberta they’re considered livestock when they’re actually exotic pets.”

Formerly called Archie’s Angel’s Rabbit Rescue, the not-for-profit organization holds dozens of meet and greet events across Lethbridge during the year, to educate the community and help find forever homes for the 37 rabbits currently under their care. The latest one was “Bunnies and Buicks” which was hosted by Davis GMC-Buick Saturday.

Board member, Natasha Spate and volunteer Tia Lawrence-Cox set up two visitation pens for the four rabbits they brought to the event. In one pen was Kevin, an energetic chestnut-coloured lop-eared rabbit Lawrence-Cox had rescued herself. In the other was a bonded trio named Toshi, P.J. and Judy. Toshi was a small gray rabbit, while both P.J. and Judy were larger black rabbits.

“We can’t always rely on pet shops to educate properly, and there is so much misinformation online,” said Spate. “These events give us the opportunity to talk directly with anyone interested in exotic animal ownership, and it gives them the chance to ask us any questions.”

Several families with young children were already waiting when the event opened at 11 a.m. and three-year-old Quinn Hemmerling was one of the first to greet the rabbits. She visited first with the bonded-trio, kneeling in the pen and gently petting each rabbit, while parents Andrew and Lauren took pictures from outside the pen. After a few minutes, Quinn hopped over to the other pen to visit Kevin, petting him and giving treats for a few minutes before bouncing back to the other pen.

Although children like Quinn are the intended recipients of live Easter bunnies, rabbits are not generally not recommended for young children because of their delicate nature, potential for stress from rough handling, and the need for specialized care that may be difficult for children to provide. Also, once children realize that caring for a rabbit is an eight- to 10-year chore, that responsibility often gets dumped onto their parents.

Rabbits generally rank third in popularity behind cats and dogs, which also means they are the third most surrendered to shelters, assuming their owners bother to go to a shelter and don’t simply release the rabbit into the wild in the misguided hope it can fend for itself. In almost all cases, these rabbits die from starvation or are killed by predators or vehicles.

Because the Lethbridge Animal Shelter doesn’t accept rabbits, it refers surrenders to Archie’s. Archie’s, however, cannot accept any new intakes at the moment. Not having a dedicated facility to house its charges, Archie’s depends on its volunteers for fostering.

Archie’s, however, is not alone.In Alberta, rabbit adoption rates from shelters have seen increased surrenders and returns, leading to overcrowding in some rescue organizations. While shelters have a higher rate of rabbits being adopted compared to 2021, a significant portion still remain in shelters, according to Shelter Animals Count. A surge in returns, often due to the owner’s inability to properly care for them, has pushed some rescue organizations to the brink.

If any parent is considering getting their child a rabbit for Easter, or any occasion, board member Lyss Koenig recommends contacting Archie’s first. Not only does Archie’s have rabbits ready for adoption, but they offer education, training and support that retail pet stores or backyard breeders might not have.

“By adopting a rabbit from us, you not only save a rabbit in need, but may also save another from a pet store or breeder from being dumped,” she says.

Despite being unable to accept any new intakes themselves, Koenig says that anyone who sees a domestic rabbit hopping around outside should still contact Archie’s, because they work with AARCS Safe Haven (a larger animal rescue organization in Calgary) and can assist in catching the rabbit.

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