Thinking about getting a live animal as an Easter gift? Clarksburg animal rescue says think twice
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — Easter is almost here, and for many parents, that means getting the last-minute items for those Easter baskets, and sometimes live animals are a part of that. But is it a good idea?
Chicks, ducklings and rabbits are often depicted as the perfect Easter animals and pets for the holiday. However, AJ Springfield, the director for PupSavers Rescue in Clarksburg, said that abandonment of these pets is a big problem.
'They bring the duck, the rabbit, what have you, in, and they soon find out that it's a lot of care, a lot of work, very time-consuming, smelly, and expensive,' Springfield said.
Although these animals are fluffy and usually smaller than a cat or dog, don't let their size fool you into thinking they require less care. Springfield said that ducks, chicks and rabbits require a lot more space than the small crate or box they're usually purchased in, as they can grow very quickly.
'If you can't commit to that animal's life, if it is about teaching a child responsibility, great. But if it's just purchased as you know, an ornament for your Easter basket, not a good idea,' Springfield said.
Already before Easter this year, Springfield has had Pekin ducklings returned because they grew quickly. Springfield said he was told 'they're too big for the Easter basket.' Pekin ducks are typically meat ducks and generally don't have a long lifespan, but are one of the most common Easter ducks given and are not suited for the wild.
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Many already know the big problem of cat and dog surrenders after Christmas time, but Springfield said he sometimes sees the Easter season has a higher surrendering rate.
'People often forget about Easter, where the problem is just as bad if not more, there's just some wider range of animals and there are very few resources for poultry and rabbits,' Springfield said.
Springfield added that these animals are usually surrendered by owners who did not give proper nutrition or housing to the animals and giving them up is the best outcome.
'We never recommend releasing any domestic animal into the wild, into a city park, or to your yard or to your woods […] Because of the fact that these rabbits, ducks, things like that they're not used to predators, they don't have that awareness, they've lost that instinct, a lot of it, and so they're easy prey and they meet gruesome ends,' said Springfield.
Because of this year's egg prices, there has been a high rise in adoptions of those chicks and ducks and Springfield is already expecting a high surrender rate of those animals as well.
If you've already purchased one of these animals and are worried about long-term care, Springfield said to contact local farms and rescues for help. But if you are committed to caring for these animals, Springfield suggests doing proper research on the best food and habitat for the animal's lifetime.
In order to combat an expected high rate of surrenders this year, PupSavers Rescue will be holding an event on Friday at Pet Supplies 'Plus' in Clarksburg from 3-8 p.m. for families to get an opportunity to pet popular Easter pets and get photo opportunities.
'They can get that experience, get it out of their system so to speak, without mom and dad having to invest a small fortune in,' Springfield said.
On Saturday, there will also be another event held by PupSavers from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Tractor Supply on Emily Drive. During the event, people will be able to adopt cats and dogs, get photo ops with the Easter bunny and hang out with the easter pets.
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