skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina s congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Myorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Rescue Groups: Avoid Impulse Pet Purchases; Stick to Chocolate Bunnies

play audio
Play

Wednesday, April 12, 2017   

DES MOINES, Iowa - A real, live bunny may seem like a cute, cuddly Easter gift for child, but animal-welfare groups are cautioning Iowans to stick to the chocolate ones.

Susan Mangold of the Columbus House Rabbit Society in Ohio said she co-founded the "Make Mine Chocolate" campaign 15 years ago as a way to reduce the number of rabbits coming into their care, especially when they were an impulse purchase.

"They go into a pet store around Easter," she said, "and there are these adorable little baby bunnies, and who can resist a baby anything? The reality is, rabbits can live eight to 10 years or longer. They're a much more demanding, more high-maintenance pet than most people understand."

After Easter, Mangold said, local animal-rescue groups often are inundated with rabbits whose owners decide they don't want them. Her message, she said, is that animals aren't disposable, and she recommended that Iowans stick to chocolate bunnies.

Tom Colvin, executive director of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, noted that bunnies can make great pets, but they may not be the right fit for every family. He strongly urged that folks do their homework.

"All pets do require quite a bit of care and specialized care, so it's always recommended that they research all of the needs - the medical needs, the dietary needs, the level of time and housing, and all those types of things," he said. "Take that into account before getting a bunny."

If the new owner of a bunny is struggling, Mangold said, a local rabbit-rescue organization can help by either offering support so the animal can stay in the home or locating a foster family.

"Certainly, they need to reach out and see if they can get some assistance," she said. "The absolute last thing they want to do is dump the animal outside. That is a certain death, because a domestic rabbit is completely unprepared to look after itself in the wild."

Mangold said an estimated four out of every five bunnies given as Easter gifts are abandoned or die in less than a year.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021