ASK AN EXPERTKatie Marcinek, PetSmart Petcare ManagerQ. I am a new pet owner. What do I need for my pet?A. For a dog, the essentials include a crate, food, dishes, collar, leash, identification tag, small training treats and a variety of toys. Other things can be bought as needed. For a cat, you'll need to get a litter pan and litter, food, feeding dishes, collar, identification tag, variety of toys and a form of a scratching post.
Laurie Montgomery has a passion for animals, particularly rabbits. She founded Columbia, Tenn.-based Bunny Rescue in 2001, an all-volunteer, no-kill, non-profit organization that rescues rabbits and educates the public on rabbit care and behavior.
Many "Easter bunnies" wind up in shelters each year, she said.
"We get about 2,000 calls annually from people who have seen domesticated rabbits in their yards or woods," Ms. Montgomery said. "We also get calls from animal shelters reporting rabbits that have been brought to them."
Many of these rabbits were given as Easter gifts, she said.
Most domesticated rabbits are not native to the United States, she said. "They are from Europe. And many are being bred in puppy-mill-like conditions here in the states where they're being sold for meat and snake food. Nobody likes to talk about it. It's the underbelly of rabbit breeding."
At any given time, Ms. Montgomery has about 50 adoptable rabbits.
"Rabbits and small children aren't a good match," she said on her Web site bunnyrescue.com. "Rabbits are not passive and cuddly. They are ground-loving creatures who feel frightened and insecure when held and restrained."
For more information, call the Bunny hotline at 615-260-3808 or e-mail Ms. Montgomery at bunnyrescue.net.