Impulsive bunny buyers don't realize rabbits are fragile, LaRoche says, or that rabbits can live eight to 10 years. These critters require the right food, exercise and, most of all, love. Easter animals taken to shelters don't always fare well. The Denver Dumb Friends League took in 574 rabbits between July 1999 and June 2000. The Humane Society of Boulder Valley, which does not euthanize adoptable animals, takes in 200 rabbits every year.
People unknowingly buy pregnant rabbits.
Some take home two, who quickly mate. There is a reason the Easter bunny has its origins in pre-Christian fertility lore. The cycle begins a few days after the holiday, when buyers no longer want a toy that eats furniture. Her bunnies are litter-box trained and roam the house. Johnson, her friends and 60 rabbits met in a Broomfield park last weekend to celebrate their lifelong companions.