WASHINGTON (CNN) — Easter is usually filled with Easter egg hunts, visits from the Easter bunny and spending time with family.
However, some make the occasion even more special by buying their own bunny.
Animal rescue groups say that this can quickly turn into a nightmare and a very full animal shelter.
In Middle Tennessee, shelters see a large influx of bunnies that get dropped off weeks, sometimes even just days, after Easter.
“Somebody bought them for Easter and didn’t want them anymore. It was just a novelty to them,” said Marly Richardson as she explained where all her rabbits came from.
Richardson and her friend started Southern Bunny Sanctuary to save rabbits that have been neglected.
She told Channel 4 News that it is estimated anywhere from 90 to 95 percent of bunnies bought for Easter don’t make it to their first birthday.
That statistic is concerning knowing that the average lifespan of a rabbit is 10 to 15 years.
There are several reasons for this, but the biggest animal rescuers say is that owners don’t know or are not ready for the commitment it takes to keep a rabbit.
“They are cute tiny little bunnies. They are sweet, and then in about three months, they turn into boisterous teenagers trying to spray everything and they are chewing on everything … people don’t realize that is what they are in for,” said Richardson.
As quick as the impulse it was to buy the bunny is to get rid of it in several cases.
However, it is not too late if you have a bunny to make them a good household pet.
Richardson told Channel 4 the most important thing to do is spay and neuter the bunny.
“Spay and neuter probably solves most, if not all of the behavior problems,” said Richardson.
In addition, she said it’s crucial the rabbits eat a good diet, have the correct enclosure and are given a lot of love.
It’s a type of love that most likely will not include cuddling.
“They do not like to be held, for the most part. You get the occasional one that doesn’t mind. For the most part, they are ground animals,” said Richardson.
If you are not able to take care of your rabbit, Richardson said the worst thing you could do is put the animal outside.
Bunnies bought from pet stores do not have the same instincts as wild rabbits and will die if they are left in the elements.
An alternative to that would be taking it to a rescue. There are several bunny rescues in the Nashville area, and Metro Animal Control also takes in rabbits.
Channel 4 checked in with animal control this weekend and they said they have zero bunnies up for adoption right now, but they do expect that to change significantly in the coming days.
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