This Sunday, many well-intentioned parents will purchase live baby bunnies for their children as Easter gifts. Unfortunately, many of these rabbits will wind up at animal shelters once they grow big and the novelty wears off. Some parents will unknowingly fill Easter baskets with candy made from animals when there are other alternatives available. And then there are the eggs: Countless numbers of eggs, produced by hens that spend their entire lives living in cramped cages, will be purchased for the holiday. However, with a little bit of planning, you can make this Easter an animal friendly holiday by considering some of these alternatives.
Don’t buy pet store rabbits. If you decide that your family is ready for a bunny after thoughtful consideration, and you go to a pet store, make sure you ask the pet store where their rabbits originated. Pet stores often get their bunnies from “bunny mills” where rabbits are continuously bred and babies are weaned at a very early age. With all the homeless rabbits waiting for permanent homes, it doesn’t make sense to breed them. Stores like Petco showcase rabbits, but they are all shelter rabbits. Or visit your local animal shelter. Here in Santa Barbara, Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter (B.U.N.S.) is a wonderful organization that cares for stray and abandoned bunnies. B.U.N.S. is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4:45 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at 5473 Overpass Rd.. For more information, check out their website at bunssb.org .
Purchase animal-friendly Easter baskets. When you’re shopping for goodies for your Easter baskets, opt for an animal-friendly basket. You can purchase marshmallows made entirely from non-animal ingredients from stores like Whole Foods. Vegetarians may not be aware that Peeps contain gelatin, which is boiled animal bones. There are many drug store candies that do not contain animal products: Airheads, Dots, Dum-Dums, Fireballs, Hubba Bubba bubblegum, Jolly Ranchers (lollipops and hard candy), Lemonheads, Mike and Ikes, Runts, Smarties (U.S. brand), Sweet Tarts, Twizzlers, and Zots. If you fill your plastic eggs with some of these candies, you’ll offer a more humane treat.