CLEARFIELD, Pa. (WTAJ)– With Easter around the corner, a local animal shelter is warning people to do their research before adopting a rabbit.
Workers at the Clearfield County SPCA said they see an influx in surrendered rabbits after the Easter season.
“We do get flooded, and we have limited amount of cages, but we still take everything in,” Ember Vargas with the SPCA said. “It’s just pretty stressful for us and the bunnies coming in.”
Vargas has worked for the SPCA for two years. In that time, she’s seen around 10 rabbits surrendered.
She said it’s because people often don’t consider how much work rabbits take.
“We get a lot of people calling saying they’re either destroying their homes, they’re smelly, their kids no longer want them because they’re not small, cute and cuddly anymore,” Vargas said.
Her biggest piece of advice before adopting a rabbit is to do your research.
The increase in rabbits also impacts the shelter.
“They need their own food, they need Timothy hay, which we don’t get donated a lot, and also the type of rabbit food. We don’t get that donated either and it is expensive,” Vargas said.
If you do receive a rabbit you do not want, the best thing to do is surrender it to the shelter and don’t release it outside.