Year of the Rabbit

23 Jan 2011 - As demand for pet bunnies grows ahead of the Chinese Year of the Rabbit, animal rights group Peta urged consumers to forgo adopting the furry animals as household companions. Pet shops in China and elsewhere in Asia have seen soaring sales of rabbits in the run-up to the Lunar New Year which begins Feb 3. Peta warned that the animals are often abandoned once the novelty wears off. "There is no better time to help rabbits than during the Year of the Rabbit, and you can do so by refusing to support the pet trade that causes so many animals to suffer", said Peta campaigner Maggie Chen. "Rabbits are not just cute and fluffy, but they are high-maintenance animals who require significant resources, equipment, attention and veterinary care.". A group of "crush fetishists sparked an online furore last November after uploading graphic videos showing attractive young Chinese women crushing small rabbits.