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.