Community

Bunnies are really cute — and really not Easter gifts

It was almost as if the universe decided to make a point.

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Just before its annual Spring Thing — meant to educate the public about not treating rabbits as Easter gifts — Rabbit Haven found itself with 11 new bunnies. Someone had “dumped” — abandoned — them. The Gig Harbor rabbit rescue organization took them on.

Founder and owner Sue Brennan said the situation isn’t uncommon, especially right around Easter.

“Even with our low-cost vaccines, it was still $3,000 [to get them all vaccinated],” Brennan said. “It’s Easter dump time, and it’s just really happening.”

Flemish Giant rabbit Russell — a very sweet boy — shoves his nose through the bars of his pen to say hello, during Rabbit Haven’s annual Spring Thing on March 29, 2026. Photo by Carolyn Bick. © Carolyn Bick

Rabbits aren’t easy

“Easter dump time” is when people realize that the rabbits they got their kids for Easter are actually complex little creatures, each with their own personalities and varying needs. Families can’t treat them as just another pet.

They quickly find out that rabbits are not only expensive to care for, but delicate little creatures. Brennan spoke with Gig Harbor Now last year about how rabbits are prey animals, and therefore easy to kill.

“If you do anything to a rabbit that gives them a fright, like put them in water, they can have a heart attack like that and die,” volunteer Shona Richards said during a barn tour. “They don’t like being picked up. That’s the other thing. Kids think they’re cute, want to pick them up. Rabbits hate being picked up. They’re not like a dog or a cat. And some of them, especially if they’re not quite domesticated, when you pick it up, they could get a heart attack. Or they kick you, jump out, break a leg as they fall down.”

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, Richards explained to Spring Thing attendees. Rabbits also require special care, including specific vaccinations, particularly against RHV2, a hemorrhagic virus that is currently running rampant in the wild and now mutating.

Brielle, center, laughs, as she and Amelia, right make rabbit toys, while Lola watches, during Rabbit Haven’s annual Spring Thing on March 29, 2026. Photo by Carolyn Bick. © Carolyn Bick

“And spaying and neutering a rabbit, which needs to be done at an exotic vet, can cost you up to $400. At a clinic, you could probably get away with $100, $150,” Richards said. “And female rabbits, if they don’t get spayed, they have a [very high chance] of developing uterine cancer, which means an early extermination. They don’t live that long. So not only is it good to prevent them from having babies, but it’s actually also good for their health.”

How to help

Rabbits are also long-term commitments. Healthy bunnies can live up to 12 years, particularly when spayed or neutered. They require daily exercise, fresh veggies, unlimited hay, and enrichment, like toys. They also need predictable routines and a low-stress, quiet environment with places to hide and chill out.

All that said, this shouldn’t stop families or individuals from fostering or adopting a rabbit, as long as they take caring for the rabbit as seriously as they would any other beloved pet. Richards has two bunnies who aren’t the biggest fans of her, but they tolerate her. “And then I’ve got one who’s a big love bug,” she said. “Just completely different personalities.”

Richards noted that fostering a rabbit is better for homes without other pets. Introducing bunnies to homes with other pets requires an integration period that might not be permanent, thereby disrupting all pets’ routines and familiarity with the space.

People who aren’t ready to foster or adopt can still help Rabbit Haven’s many long-eared residents by becoming volunteers or donating money or needed supplies. Readers can also donate money to Willie’s Fund, named after a beloved rabbit rescued from the snowy cold who has since died. The fund specifically covers the cost of spaying and neutering.

Rabbit Haven’s main fundraising event will be in August.

Click on any image below to view the photographs as a gallery.