4-H and rabbits

Question
I saw your answer to the person who had his rabbit disqualified for not being intact when shown.  So, I thought I'd ask your thoughts on something that's been running through my mind, now that fair season is winding down.

When I was a kid, I was a "townie" and couldn't join 4-H, so I'm not sure how it works.

The question revolves around 4-H and what happens to rabbits when fair season is over.  

When I volunteered at the local humane society, after easter and after fair season were the times of year when people dumped off rabbits at the shelters.  And now that fair season is winding down people are trying to get rid of 4-H rabbits.

My personal view is, that if you are going to show/breed rabbits, you should have it worked out what to do with the animals when you're done.  

If 4-H is supposed to teach kids responsibility, something seems amiss when so many rabbits are looking for places to go after showing is done.

Am I being too harsh?

And how does 4-H work?  Do the local chapters have discretion in how they handle these types of issues?

Answer
Hi Andrea

If you were to ask me my opinion it is not the 4-H kids that dump their rabbits.  I personally think it is the irresponsible people that jump into owning a rabbit and don't know what they are getting themselves in to.  

I have to agree with you that you have to have a plan on what you are going to do with your rabbits after they are out of their prime.  I have my own personal objectives and honestly it may be easier for me but I really think it is important to get them spayed and neutered so they can be bonded with another rabbit and become pets.  I can't speak for the other rabbit breeder's of the world but I do know what happens to many of these rabbits.  All I can assure you is that they don't end up in the humane societies.  I have friends that raise over 1000 rabbits per year and I know for a fact that probably only 1/4 of them are kept long term.  It is just my personal opinion that whether you decide to keep the rabbits as pets, or you decide to eat them that you have to have a plan.  

I don't know about other 4-H groups but I for one know that I teach my kids the importance of being responsible.  If you decide to join 4-H and get a rabbit it is a 10+ year commitment.  This often means that when the kids go to college that the parents end up with the rabbit.  I know in our 4-H group that we strongly encourage parental involvement.  

Rabbits can be shown from year to year so if a child gets a rabbit as a pet and still wants to be in 4-H they can keep the rabbit for the next season.  Some rabbits show lives run in excess of 5 or 6 years.  Usually by then they have become part of the family.  There is no rule that says you have to get a new rabbit every year.  In fact I would be mortified if I knew my own group was deserting their rabbits just to get another one.

Andrea I don't think you are being to harsh but sadly there are many people in this world who have different opinions about rabbits.  4-H kids not only raise rabbits but some of them raise market steers, goats, pigs and sheep.  They learn by this experience that animals are eaten.  It is not a fun experience to watch the kids balling their eyes out on sale day when the steer they raised for a year is sent to slaughter.  It is just part of life.  The only good thing about the rabbit project is that these animals aren't sent to slaughter.  They are sent home with the family with whom they came hopefully to be loved for the next 10 years.

During our 4-H project year we teach the kids how to properly handle and care for their rabbits.  They learn about all of the different diseases that can wipe out an entire herd.  Not only do I work as an animal care giver but I am truly a person who believes that even if an animal was raised for the sole purpose of slaughter that it deserves a good life while it is on this earth. To me that is where responsibility comes into play.  I don't see these kids deserting their animals after fair season.  Some may sell them and others keep them as pets.  I don't know about other 4-H clubs but ours even has a dog club.  The children who join that project are required to get a dog and train it properly and again I know that the dogs aren't sent off to China to be made into sushi.

As for other chapters it is hard to say.  In our chapter we have a rabbit committee.  We set the by-laws and we make the rules.  One of those rules is that after the 1st year all of the participants must have a purebred rabbit.  It doesn't necessarily have to have papers or be registered but it has to meet the standards of perfection.  We do this because mix breed rabbits are more susceptible to illnesses and are less marketable.  We follow the American Rabbit Breeder's standards during our fair show.  We also don't encourage our kids to go out and breed their rabbits.  That is not something that young kids should be doing.

I always tell people that if you don't have the heart to euthanize a rabbit then you are in the wrong project.  I know they are cute and cuddly and their are animal rights activists all over the world thinking that killing a rabbit is a horrible thing.  However, if a rabbit is bred for that sole purpose then to me it is no different than cattle or swine.  

I am an extremely religious person and I know that God put animals on the earth so that we could eat.  As much as I love my rabbits and I would absolutely never kill one of them because it didn't meet the standard or was the wrong color etc, I know that there are people out there that do.  

I know that we don't allow altered rabbits but we are probably one of the few groups that allows children to show rabbits that wouldn't meet up to the ARBA standard.  No matter what it is all about how well they take care of them.  They need to provide proof that the rabbit has seen a vet.  These poor kids are judged (at least here) on how clean their rabbit cage is.  Some of them are at the fair all week long and never get to enjoy the fun parts because they are constantly cleaning up rabbit poop.

I am sorry if I wasn't clear or if I rambled a bit but I just think it is important to know that as much as I love rabbits and all animals, I have accepted that not all people are like me.  

The only thing I can pretty much guarantee is that it is not the 4-H kids that are the problem.  They know about responsibility and they take it seriously.  From what I saw this past fair season these kids love those animals.  I honestly believe that the influx of rabbits in shelters this time of year has absolutely nothing to do with 4-H or the 4-H rabbit project.  I think what the majority of it is is people who made a rash decision to purchase a rabbit around Easter time and then suddenly realized that rabbits are not easy pets.

As far as I am aware there is a standard 4-H policy.  It is pretty much the same throughout the United States.  The majority of rules come directly from ARBA standards and most fairs strictly adhere to the ARBA protocols.

I do appreciate your question and I understand you concerns.  Sometimes it is very difficult for me coming from both sides of the fence.  My main goal is to try to educate the kids on proper care.

Sincerely,

Pam