PLEASE THINK HARD BEFORE BUYING A PET THIS EASTER…BUY AN ANIMAL BOOK INSTEAD!

The two ducklings in the photo below were brought to me after they were found behind a motel where someone had recently dumped them. They were no more than a week old and would have died of hypothermia had they not been found. Normally I would not take a domestic animal, but the people who brought them were traveling and I know of someone who will take them and make an excellent home.

The ducklings reminded me that the Easter holiday will be here soon and many parents will be filling up Easter baskets, buying Easter outfits and sadly many will be purchasing baby animals for gifts. The thought of it makes me sick. Why? You may ask. Because Easter is a nightmare for bunnies, chicks and ducklings. I wish it would be against the law to sell them at this time of the year.

Holidays are no time to buy a child a pet. This is especially true for bunnies, chicks and ducklings at Easter. Animals are not toys. Nor are they something to get for a couple hours of entertainment and to be passed around and terrorized, being over-handled to the point they become sick or die. Yet every year this is exactly what happens.

Let me explain…

CHICKS
Chicks, as true with bunnies and ducklings, will not tolerate being constantly handled. In fact, most die within a couple days of being brought home. Think of the reaction and memory of the child when this happens. In the rare event that the chick becomes a chicken, what are you going to do with it? In many cases it is against the law to have them in city limits.

DUCKLINGS
Same problem with ducklings: the vast majority don’t make it past a couple days and are not allowed in the city. Easter ducklings that do live are often let go down by the lake or at the park once they grow up. This is downright cruel and so WRONG!

1. It is illegal to release any pet into the wild.
2. You just released your pet to be dinner for any number of predators. (It wasn’t raised in the wild and hasn’t been taught how to be wild and most wild ducks will not take it under its wing.)
3. Thirdly, the duckling is probably a Pekan Duck (the most popular breed of domestic duck in North America). and they CANNOT FLY. If they can’t fly south in the winter when the lake is frozen and they can’t get away from predators, guess what happens to it?
4. Lastly, if by a small miracle, the duckling makes it to adulthood and spring rolls around, it will mate with local wild mallards. Then we have a genetic problem that can lead to huge issues with the entire population of ducks.

BUNNIES
Although I am not a veterinarian, I still get calls about a bunny being dropped on its head or back or being tugged and pulled on the ears and legs by a child, and now they are injured or broken. Bunnies are not toys that can be tossed around like a ball, yet that’s what they do. As with chicks and ducklings, these are not wild bunnies; they are domestic. They can’t live in the wild on their own, and if they get sick or injured they need to go to a veterinarian, not a rehabilitator.

I understand that there are some that are responsible and have successfully raised healthy, happy pets; however, they are the exception!

If you buy your child a pet (no matter when you buy it), be sure they are old enough to know how to handle and treat the animal as well as take care of it. Too many times I have seen an animal suffer from dehydration or starvation because the child forgot to feed or water them. ANIMALS ARE LIVING THINGS THAT RELY ON THE OWNER TO CARE FOR THEM.

Please be responsible and do not set your child up to have their heart broken because that gift died on them. Part of growing up is learning to wait until you are the right age for what you want before you get it.

So while you’re out shopping for all those Easter presents, please pass right on by the live animals and buy an animal book for your child instead!

Please share this important information – Thank you!

Copyright 2017 Fran Kitchen

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