Every spring, it happens the same way. A child spots a baby bunny in a pet store window or an Easter basket and falls in love. A well-meaning parent makes an impulse purchase. And then, a few weeks later, when the novelty has worn off and the reality of specialized care, expensive vet bills, and a ten-year commitment sets in, that rabbit ends up in a shelter, abandoned on a street, or surrendered to a rescue group already stretched beyond capacity.

This is not a rare occurrence. It happens by the thousands, every single year, in every corner of the country.

Rabbits are the third most surrendered pet in American shelters. Rescue organizations report their highest intake numbers in the weeks following Easter, when impulse purchases collide with the reality of what it actually takes to care for one of the most misunderstood animals kept as pets. Rabbits are not starter pets. They are highly social, emotionally complex animals that can live up to twelve years, require specialized exotic veterinary care that can cost thousands of dollars over a lifetime, need significant space to run and explore, and do not enjoy being picked up or held, making them genuinely poor companions for young children.

The baby bunnies sold on street corners, at flea markets, and through online platforms like Craigslist are often taken from their mothers before they are properly weaned. Many die within days of purchase. Those sold as miniature or dwarf breeds are frequently misrepresented and grow far larger than buyers expect. They are rarely spayed or neutered, meaning a single impulse purchase can quickly become an unmanageable litter. In many states laws prohibiting pet store sales of rabbits are routinely circumvented through direct and online sales that carry no such restrictions.

Baby chicks and ducks face the same fate. Purchased as adorable Easter novelties, they quickly grow into animals that require outdoor space, proper zoning compliance, and care that most urban and suburban families are not equipped to provide. Countless adult chickens end up in shelters or released into environments where they cannot survive.

The solution is not complicated. A stuffed bunny or a chocolate egg brings the same joy without a lifetime of consequences for an animal that had no choice in the matter.

Sign this petition to call on federal and state lawmakers to close the loopholes that allow unregulated rabbit and live chick sales around Easter, require point-of-sale disclosures about the true cost and commitment of exotic pet ownership, and fund public education campaigns that encourage adoption over impulse purchase and remind families that live animals are not holiday gifts.