Pets at Home stops selling rabbits and issues warning to all customers

Pets at Home have been praised for temporarily banning the sale of rabbits over Easter weekend to stop "impulsive" purchases driven by the holiday.

According to rabbit rescue charity E.A.R.S, four out of five rabbits bought as pets for Easter are abandoned or die within a year. PETA and other organisations strongly urge against the sale of rabbits as hundreds are bought as gifts for children over the Easter break.

And in a surprising move, Pets at Home have banned the sale or adoption of bunnies over Easter weekend. The popular chain warned that rabbits have "complex needs" and "careful reflection" is needed before customers purchase them.

E.A.R.S also stresses that rabbits can be a "10 to 12-year commitment" and "are not starter pets" - requiring daily exercise, attention and an appropriate diet.

A sign put on rabbit enclosures in Pets at Home stores reads: "Owning rabbits can be very rewarding and enjoyable. It's also a long term commitment that you need to make sure you're ready for. We pride ourselves on putting pets before profit, so we've made the decision not to sell or adopt rabbits over the Easter weekend 29th March - 1st April.

"You can still buy a gift card which can be used any time after Easter."

Head of Pets at Home, Kathryn Patel, said: "For several years now, we've made the decision to temporarily halt rabbit sales over the Easter weekend. This is a deliberate decision to discourage people from making impulsive choices during this celebratory time and to help people be responsible pet owners.

"Rabbits have complex needs, including specialised dietary requirements and environments, and we always want to educate and encourage careful reflection on how those needs will be met before homing. We want all pets to be placed into loving homes - the last thing we want is for a customer to rush into owning rabbits."

And many praised the initiative online, with one person writing: "I think this is a great idea. It's easy for people to buy a pet on a whim because it suits them at a time without giving it proper thought."

Another said: "The amount of small pets I've rescued over the years because they are unwanted Christmas and Birthday presents is sickening."

But some felt the move wasn't enough, with fears people would buy rabbits beforehand or after Easter weekend. One person said: "They shouldn't be selling them at all. Rescue centres are full of unwanted and sick rabbits thanks to places like Pets at Home."

Another added: "Rabbit welfare is misunderstood and Pets at Home don’t help. No hutch should be sold without an appropriate run."