What could be a better Easter gift than a cute, adorable bunny, right?
Wrong.
At The Rabbit Sanctuary in Simpsonville, owner Caroline Gilbert sees the fallout from such irresponsible gift-giving each year, according to this Fox Carolina report.
The sanctuary currently cares for more than 50 rabbits, most of them Easter rejects.
"Almost every rabbit here is an Easter bunny that got discarded," Gilbert told the station. Rabbits are often Easter impulse buys that aren't taken care of properly, or are forgotten or discarded.
"Ninety percent of all Easter bunnies perish shortly after purchase, they don't even live a year. It's really cruel," she said.
Unlike cats or dogs, Gilbert warned that bunnies do not make good starter pets, and that they are not easy to raise — and they're typically not suitable for children, either, she said.
"They're easily injured, they'll scratch when they get picked up because they get scared," Gilbert told Fox.
The facility is currently full, and Gilbert says she often must turn bunnies away. To help fund the facility, families can adopt a bunny virtually, with a child receiving a picture of a bunny living at the facility and information about it.
To see the original report, click here.
For more on the facility and to adopt a virtual bunny, visit The Rabbit Sanctuary's website.