Victory! This alert made a difference for animals!

In 2008, Petco stopped selling rabbits as part of its "Think Adoption First" initiative, in which it committed to encouraging the public to adopt from local shelters and rabbit rescues. In a very disturbing turn of events, Petco has now resumed the sale of rabbits in 25 stores in the southern United States as part of a pilot program. Tell Petco to immediately stop selling rabbits!

Shelters and rescue organizations are already completely overwhelmed with rabbits needing homes and can't take them all in. Thousands of rabbits are abandoned or surrendered to shelters every year for a variety of reasons and many die. By selling rabbits, Petco is directly enabling abandonment, neglect, and deaths.

Petco is marketing rabbits with misleading terms and fabricated breeds like "miniature," "teacup," and "teddy bear,” which will lead to impulse purchases from customers who are tricked into thinking they are getting a specialized breed.

In Petco's home state of California, selling rabbits at pet stores is illegal, so it has taken rabbit sales to stores in the southern region of the country. According to The Humane Society of the United States, rabbits are the third most abandoned pet in the country. Selling rabbits is a massive step backward and will increase the quantity of abandoned and dumped rabbits, thus intensifying the shelter crisis. As one of the leading corporate pet stores, Petco has the authority to set an example and immediately cease the sale of rabbits.

Instead of sourcing rabbits from breeders and profiting off sales to impulsive shoppers, Petco should be working with shelters and rescue organizations to promote the adoption of existing rabbits who need homes. Rabbits sourced from breeders often live in poor conditions and experience various health issues. They also commonly suffer from stress, due to the conditions, transport to stores, and exposure to busy pet store settings. Rabbits who are bred for certain features also often suffer from health issues, including molar spurs, malocclusion, and blocked tear ducts which can require costly veterinary care.

To make matters worse, Petco states the bunnies being sold are 3 months old and neutered. While we applaud sterilizing animals before sending them into homes, neutering male rabbits at this age is problematic. According to VCA Animal Hospitals, male rabbits can be neutered as early as four to six months old; however many veterinarians recommend waiting until they are six to eight months to allow for proper bone growth. Petco is neutering bunnies at a young age for profit and sales, which is extremely concerning and highly unethical.

Petco has broken its former promise, once again prioritizing profits over the well-being of rabbits and choosing corporate greed at the expense of animal welfare. Tell Petco to stop treating these sensitive, overbred animals as commodities.

Letter to Decision Maker(s) for reference:

Subject: Keep Your Promise To Not Sell Rabbits

As one of In Defense of Animals’ 250,000 supporters and someone who is committed to animal welfare, I am urging you to immediately and permanently end the sale of rabbits and recommit to promoting adoption. 

In 2008, people all over the country were thrilled when Petco stopped selling rabbits as part of its "Think Adoption First" initiative, in which the company committed to encouraging adoption from shelters and rabbit rescues. In a very disturbing turn of events, Petco has now resumed the sale of rabbits which increases the burden for shelters and rescues highly overwhelming them more than they already are and leading to more rabbits being killed in shelters.

Rabbits are the third most abandoned pet in the United States and thousands of them are abandoned or surrendered to shelters every year. By selling rabbits, Petco is directly enabling abandonment and neglect. Furthermore, Petco is marketing rabbits with misleading terms and fabricated breeds like "miniature," "teacup," and "teddy bear,” which will lead to impulse purchases from customers who are tricked into thinking they are getting a specialized breed.

Selling rabbits is a massive step backward and will intensify the shelter crisis and increase the quantity of abandoned, dumped, and dying rabbits. As a leading corporate pet store, Petco has the authority to set an example and immediately cease the sale of rabbits. 

Instead of sourcing rabbits from breeders and profiting off sales to impulsive shoppers, Petco should be working with shelters and rescue organizations to promote the adoption of existing rabbits who need homes. Rabbits sourced from breeders often live in poor conditions and experience various health issues. They also commonly suffer from stress, due to these poor conditions, transport to stores, and exposure to busy pet store settings. Rabbits who are bred for certain features also often suffer from health issues, including molar spurs, malocclusion, and blocked tear ducts which can require costly veterinary care.

To make matters worse, Petco states the rabbits being sold are 3 months old and neutered. According to VCA Animal Hospitals, male rabbits can be neutered as early as four to six months old; however many veterinarians recommend waiting until they are six to eight months to allow for proper bone growth. While I generally agree with sterilizing animals before adoption, Petco is neutering bunnies at too young an age in pursuit of profit and sales, which is extremely concerning and highly unethical.

Petco has broken its former promise, once again prioritizing profits over the well-being of rabbits and choosing corporate greed at the expense of animal welfare. If the company fails to make this critical change, it will be known for its unethical practices and will continue to lose business from people who are seeking to purchase supplies for their animal companions.

Please stop treating these sensitive, overbred animals as commodities. Thank you for your attention to this critical matter. I look forward to hearing back from you letting me know that you have scrapped your misguided plans to sell rabbits.

Sincerely,

Signed

Victory! This alert made a difference for animals!