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NYC METRO RABBIT NEWS JUNE 2015 A Milestone: New York City Bans Sale of Rabbits by Pet Stores Photo: Susan Lillo By Natalie L. Reeves cities in banning the sale of rabbits in Forget about buying a rabbit at a New pet stores. San Francisco was the first York City pet store. A ban on the sale of major city to do so, prohibiting such rabbits by pet stores was passed by the sales more than 30 years ago, because of New York City Council last year, and it the correlation between Easter and the became Local Law 5 of 2015 without impulse purchases of rabbits. Bans in the mayor’s signature. The ban went other cities have largely been enacted into effect at the beginning of June. during the past five years. Rescue groups may continue to adopt out Just a few years ago, obtaining this pet- rabbits in pet stores and at the Animal store sales ban seemed unlikely. Former Care & Control shelter, and, unfortunately, New York City Council Speaker rabbits may still be sold by breeders, Christine Quinn killed most substantive Scarlett and Crystal. individuals and slaughter markets. animal welfare legislation introduced in New York City joins San Francisco, Los the City Council, and the topic became How a Ballerina Angeles, Chicago, San Diego and other (Continued on page 2) Named Scarlett Hopped Into My Life By Crystal Dombrow Photo: Jane O’Wyatt I first reached out to NYC Metro Rabbits in January to see if a bunny would be a good little companion for me. I’ve had animals since I was little and desperately missed having someone with me in my NYC apartment. I saw Scarlett (then named Cocoa) on the adoptable rabbits page and wanted to meet her. She looked so tiny and adorable! The next week, I stopped by the 86th Street Petco and saw her hopping around her pen. The volunteers let me sit in with her, and I immediately fell in love Herman (minus front teeth) deconstructs a willow ball at Petco Union Square. (Continued on page 3) Volunteer Spotlight: Robert Kulka Adoptapalooza Zhen Heinemann Offers Personal Featured Many Is Inspired by Tribute to Those Of Our Local Rabbit named COW Helping Buns in Need Bunny Stars Page 4 Page 6 Page 7 Masthead photo illustration by Mary Ann Maier, with photos by Ruby Gu. Ruby and Joe's rescue bunnies, Toffee and S'mores, have graced this space before. Mary Ann loves working with them because of their "delightfully disapproving" faces! Milestone (Continued from page 1) a political issue in the mayoral election. Ms. Quinn’s loss in the mayoral race Photo: Jane O’Wyatt and departure from the council meant that animal-friendly legislation finally had a chance. With new City Council members pledging to consider animal-related proposals, I believed the best step for helping rabbits was to find the right vehicle and attach an amendment. Before I’d gone to law school, I’d worked as an aide to the late Gov. Lawton Chiles of Florida, and I understood that getting legislators to spend their time on a law specifically relating to rabbits would be an uphill battle. Chances of getting a ban on rabbit sales passed would be much greater if we could lobby for an amendment to a legislative proposal that Kelly copes with heat at Union Square Petco. already had support. That opportunity finally came in early 2014 lacking special expertise in the area. I thought advocates should play hardball. when a package of bills was proposed in Rabbit-savvy vets generally recommend If the lawmakers in Albany had the City Council with the primary waiting until a female rabbit is at least unintentionally neglected to include purpose of protecting dogs and cats sold 5-6 months old for this surgery. rabbits in the state law relating to how in pet stores. New York City could not municipalities could regulate pet stores, institute an outright ban on the sale of Male rabbits may be neutered at around then the rabbits should benefit from dogs and cats as other cities had done, 4 months, but pet stores generally sell their mistake. There was no legal reason because the state prohibits municipalities younger animals. According to the that the council could not ban the sale from doing so. Rabbit advocates like me USDA’s U.S. Rabbit Industry Profile, of rabbits, something I explained in the are often annoyed when rabbits are “[c]ommercially produced pet rabbits first hearing to council members. They forgotten in the law, but in this case the are most often sold through pet stores omission of rabbits in the state statute was were surprised because they had not and are often requested at four weeks an oversight that worked to their benefit. homed in on the fact that they were only of age. Older rabbits are not as pre-empted from enacting a ban on the The pet-store legislative package that desirable…” sales of dogs and cats, not other animals. was proposed in the City Council in After I voiced opposition to the spay/neuter early 2014 didn’t include a ban on the New York City’s bunnies were also proposal, I met with other advocates to sale of rabbits, but would have required fortunate that the lobbyists who showed discuss whether revising the language to rabbits sold in pet stores to be spayed or up at the council hearings to testify were require that rabbits be a minimum age neutered prior to sale. Most activists riled up about the additional reporting before being altered would fix the were thrilled with the proposal, so I requirements they would have with drew some ire when I opposed the bill problems in the bill. I said that I still respect to pet-store sales of dogs and in my testimony before the council. would not support it. I did not believe it cats, and consequently they didn’t focus would in practice be done safely, but The initial draft of the bill had been on the rabbit ban issue. Neither, frankly, importantly, I wasn’t willing to settle. If written by those who didn’t understand did most of the lawmakers. At the press the council passed the bill with a spay/ the potential deadly consequences of conference announcing the passage of neuter requirement for rabbits, I believed requiring pet stores to surgically alter the pet store legislation, neither of the that would be it: We’d never again get baby bunnies. Most rabbits sold in pet sponsors of the legislation mentioned stores are too young to be safely spayed the opportunity to have the full ban or neutered, especially by a veterinarian other municipalities had passed. (Continued on page 3) THUMP JUNE 2015 2 A Ballerina Named Scarlett Scarlett also has an angular limb Scarlett crawls in my lap and falls asleep (Continued from page 1) deformity (probably from malnutrition either on me or right next to me every as a baby bun), and her two front paws day. She follows me around the apartment with her. She was unusually social and turn out at a 90-degree angle like a little and likes to “participate” in everything confident for a rabbit; she hopped right ballerina. That was a sign that she was I’m doing, like sitting next to me while up to me and sniffed me, hopped on my meant for me, because I’m a longtime I’m folding laundry or doing dishes. She lap, and ran around me for the two classical ballet dancer. quickly figured out that her salads live hours I sat with her. I visited her again the next day at Petco. in the fridge, and she hops to a carpet More than that, it felt like she had an We played together, and she did some - spot directly across from the fridge and old soul. The volunteers told me she was thing I’d never seen a bunny do! She stares at it every time I open it now. abandoned by her first family as a baby flopped around my leg, rolling on her She doesn’t like it when I’m on my and left outside to fend for herself. She back like a little puppy and falling asleep laptop and not paying attention to her. came to NYC Metro Rabbits severely right next to me. Susan, the volunteer She’ll jump on the couch and then sit emaciated and sick from living outside that day, said they hadn’t seen her do on the keyboard until I put the laptop and eating only the carrots a neighbor that for anyone yet. She was so sweet away. It’s adorable how smart she is. She was giving her, but she pulled through. and so calming to be around. I came reminds me of a little dog; anytime I’m That little fighting spirit is alive and back every day for a week to sit with her eating something, I have to keep it away well in her. for at least an hour each time, pretty from the floor, or she tries to gobble up sure that she would be my little bunny. a few bites. I learned the hard way with I had upcoming surgery that month and potato chips, a turkey sandwich and a wasn’t sure I could take her home for a grilled cheese she tried to snatch away few weeks. After I finally decided to from me. Meanwhile, Scarlett has been devouring her hay and greens. She’s now Photo: Crystal Dombrow commit to her, the volunteers kindly put her in foster care until I could take a healthy 3.5 pounds, healed from her her home.

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