SPCA urges parents not to use live bunnies, chicks as Easter gifts
EAST BAY (BCN) - The East Bay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is preparing for an influx of small and fluffy but ultimately abandoned animals after Easter, according to a statement issued Wednesday.
They're urging parents not to use live animals like bunnies and chicks as Easter presents.
Bunnies can live to be 12 years old and need to be spayed or neutered like dogs or cats. Interactions between bunnies and children need to be supervised, and the animals need to be litter trained.
Chicks need a heated environment to survive until their feathers grow in, and adult chickens can live to 15 years old. They also require vaccinations.
In some parts of the East Bay it's not even legal to keep them as pets, according to the SPCA.
Parents are urged to do their research before getting chickens or bunnies, as with any other pet, to make sure that animal is a good fit for their home. For more information on adopting chickens and other rescued farm animals, visit www.animalplace.org.