holland lop ears?

Question
My bun recently passed away and I was checking my options for a new bunny. That is if I decide on a new bun. And I am leaning towards a holland lop. But I have been thinking lately if the lop breeds are ethical. In a way it seems that there hearing is impaired due to them being lops.maybe thats why lops are so laid back is because its hard for them to hear as well as normal rabbits so all the noises that would bother a normal bun dont affect lops as much leading to a calmer bunny. What do you think?
Also I was looking to adopt but I dont see any buns that look right. So I am also considering buying a bun. What rabbit breeds are smaller thans 4lbs in adulthood and are calm and cuddly but with a spark of energy to?(does that exist lol) also where would I go about finding a responsible rabbit breeder?
Thanks

Answer
Dear Samson,

Almost any purebred rabbit (or dog or cat or any other species) will be more likely to exhibit congenital health problems due to the inbreeding required to produce "desired" characteristics (usually recessive traits) in the animal.  So you are right to suspect that a Holland Lop may be more likely to have this problem, too.  Holland Lops are more prone to ear infections (as are all lops) than up-eared, wild type rabbits.  They also are prone to dental disease because of their abnormally short (cute, but not adaptive) faces.

I would urge you to find a bunny not on the basis of looks, but on the basis of personality.  The most beautiful could have an unfriendly personality. Why not visit your local rabbit rescue group or shelter that houses rabbits and meet the bunnies in person?  In fact, it's better to have a bonded pair, since the bunnies will entertain and keep each other company while you're not there to entertain them.  Two bunnies can actually be *less* care than one, since a paired bunny is happier, less stressed, and hence, possibly less prone to stress-related illnesses.

You can find a rabbit rescue group here:

http://www.rabbit.org

Not to put too fine a point on it, but I don't really believe there is any such thing as a "responsible" breeder.  You can read more about this here:

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/breeding.html

I hope this helps you make the right decision.

Happy New Year!

Dana