Hip, Hop, Hooray! PETA Celebrates the End of Petco’s Latest Rabbit Sales

Following a meeting with PETA, Petco announced that it will stop selling rabbits in its stores and is “recommitting to an adoption-only policy for rabbits.” The company had recently reneged on its 2008 pledge made after a national campaign led by PETA and promoted by rabbit adoption organizations and other animal protection groups.

PETA, House Rabbit Society, and dozens of other rabbit protection groups pointed out that such sales fuel the companion animal overpopulation crisis, undermine shelter efforts, and put vulnerable, delicate animals into the hands of shoppers who aren’t prepared to meet their needs. After dogs and cats, rabbits are the third most common animals surrendered to shelters, which are already overflowing with animals in need of loving homes.

Why You Should Never Buy Rabbits—or Any Other Animals

 “Adopt—don’t shop” is always the right choice when it comes to dogs, rabbits, and all other animals. Pet stores and breeders that sell live animals are major players in an uncaring and deadly industry. Treated like disposable merchandise, millions of animals—including rabbits, birds, fish, cats, dogs, rodents, and reptiles—are born into the pet trade every year. They’re frequently passed off to almost anyone willing to pay for them and often suffer and die. There’s no such thing as responsible breeding, and if someone is profiting from the sale of an animal, you can bet that the animal’s well-being isn’t the top priority.

You Can Help Animals Exploited by the Pet Trade

This is great progress, but there’s more work to be done to help betta fish and other animals who are exploited by the pet trade: