4H is touted as a program fostering agricultural education and leadership in youth, yet their approach to rabbitry is fundamentally flawed. Unlike hamsters or gerbils, which are often considered more straightforward pets for young caretakers, rabbits demand a level of care and attention that 4H has continuously underestimated. Despite acknowledging that rabbits are not rodents, 4H’s practices have failed to reflect this understanding by neglecting to implement suitable standards.

The 4H Pledge:  "I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, and my health to better living, for my club, my community, my country, and my world." 

Yet 4H is ignorantly treating blatant neglect and abusive care to rabbits. Rabbits are remarkably complex creatures with specific emotional and physical requirements—they are not livestock nor should they be treated as mere educational tools for children. However, 4H has does otherwise for many years. 

The current 4H rabbit program marginalizes these animals by reducing their care to rudimentary instructions that do not accommodate their complex nature. According to the House Rabbit Society, rabbits require a specific diet, ample space to exercise, and social interaction to thrive. They have an average lifespan of 8-12 years, which contrasts starkly with how they are treated as short-term projects.

Statistics from the American Rabbit Breeders Association highlight that inappropriate care and misinformation are significant contributors to the abandonment and mistreatment of rabbits in youth programs. Many children and families are ill-prepared for the commitment involved, leading to a cycle of ineffective pet ownership education.

We must protect the welfare of rabbits and revise the national guidelines of youth educational programs like 4H. By doing so, we ensure that children are genuinely learning responsible animal stewardship without compromising the well-being of rabbits. This can be achieved through comprehensive rabbit care training, increased support resources for families, and the exclusion of rabbits from projects unless proper welfare standards are adopted.

Join me in urging 4H to reevaluate and/or revoke its rabbitry program until significant changes are made. By signing this petition, you are advocating for ethical treatment and education that respects the dignity and needs of rabbits, fostering a future of compassion and understanding between youth and animals alike.


Important Notes About 4H Rabbit Care

- Their bare minimum cage size 1.5 feet and big enough that their ears can stand up.
Common cardboard boxes are bigger than that.

- They use strictly wire-bottom cages. 
This causes sore hocks, urine scalding, and other feet issues because rabbits do not have paw pads.

From the 4H Rabbit Study Guide 2017
(Based on this 'rule of thumb' each of my 3.5 lb rabbits would get roughly 2.5 feet of space. Their bodies are over 10 inches long, meaning they have just enough room to turn around and nothing else.)

- They use water bottles in comparison to a proper bowl.
Rabbits cannot hydrate efficiently from a water bottle because their mouths are not shaped the same as a rodent's. Rabbits also drink as much a day as a small dog does. Would you give a small dog only a quart of water a day? I don't think so.

- They are fed primarily pellet food, and not even the good stuff.
Feeding a rabbit only pellet food is dangerous because it lacks the long-strand fiber needed for proper digestion, dental wear, and overall health. This can cause obesity and GI Stasis, which can drastically shorten their lifespan. A proper rabbit diet is roughly 80% timothy hay, and only the rest is portions of pellets and fresh vegetables and occasional fruit.

Image from the 4H Rabbit Study Guide (2017)

- 4H Rabbits are commonly kept outdoors.
Even if protected from the elements themselves, their fur is susceptible to mites, matting, and even flystrike especially when kept in humid or dusty areas. Rabbits also are prey animals with strong senses of smell and hearing, predators outdoors significantly harm their wellbeing from prolonged stress and anxiety, when outdoors, a rabbit would have no idea the area you provided is safe if they can actively hear and smell danger.