Not a good Rabbit Year for abandoned bunnies

Judith Tan Straits Times 16 Jan 12;

LUCK has run out for pet rabbits as the Year of the Rabbit draws to a close.

At least 475 rabbits - the animal feted and bought during the Chinese New Year last year - were dumped in parks, wooded areas or void decks between last February and the year end.

About 100 of these were rescued by members of the House Rabbit Society of Singapore (HRSS); another 375 were brought in to or left at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

The Chinese Year of the Rabbit started last Feb 3 and ends on Sunday.

The society said the 100 it rescued was 30 per cent more than the number of bunnies it saved the previous year.

HRSS president Jacelyn Heng said even pedigree rabbits, some costing up to $1,000 each, are not immune to being dumped.

Citing the case of a male Silver Marten now looked after by HRSS while waiting to be adopted, she said: 'This is one of the rarer breeds here and yet it was abandoned in a rubbish bin on Oct 21.'

Other pedigree breeds unceremoniously dumped after the novelty of looking after them wore off included the Netherland Dwarf, Lionhead Dwarf, Holland Lop and Angora.

Last July, nine pedigree rabbits were found crammed into a rusty cage the size of two large handbags at the void deck of a Tampines housing block. One had an ear missing; all were gaunt, had flu symptoms and dirty, matted fur.

The HRSS, SPCA and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority had put out a public message early last year, urging people not to buy the animal 'for good luck', just because it was the Year of the Rabbit, only to neglect them later.

The plea fell on deaf ears.

Ms Heng said people are not aware that it is an offence to dump their pets. Those caught doing so may be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to a year or both fined and jailed.

SPCA executive director Corinne Fong said getting to the root of pet abandonment will require looking into the practice of pet buyers sourcing the animals from sellers they make contact with online.

'Cut out this unregulated trade, and you can cut down on part of the problem of pet abandonment,' she said, in a reference to the practice of pet shops - a regulated trade - microchipping the cats and dogs they sell.

Good pet shops will even advise prospective buyers on the care needed for the animal, so buyers know the responsibility pet ownership entails.

Like the animal welfare groups looking out for abandoned cats and dogs, HRSS faces the problem of finding good homes for its cotton-tailed charges.

Ms Heng said: 'There's a misconception that rabbits cannot be litter-trained or that they need to be caged constantly. That's not true.'

The HRSS pushes for the rabbits it re-homes to be kept in cage-free environments, but those who show up to adopt them may not be ready to give their new pets free run of their homes.

There may be a reprieve yet. Haw Par Corporation executive director Chng Hwee Hong has expressed interest in helping the HRSS house its abandoned pets.

Ms Heng confirmed that the HRSS has been in touch with him, but talks can take place only after the Chinese New Year as Mr Chng is away in China.

She said the HRSS needs to sort out a concern: 'The HRSS is all about indoor housing as rabbits do not do well outdoors. We'll speak to Mr Chng to find out more about his plans for a rabbit sanctuary of sorts.'