Impulse buying this holiday weekend could end up being cruel punishment for tiny, feathered or furry creatures, and it could even be their death sentence. Tom Colvin is executive director of state’s largest animal shelter, the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.Colvin is pleading with Iowans -not- to buy ducks, chicks or rabbits as Easter gifts or novelty items for kids. He says people need to carefully consider the five-to-ten-year lifespan of the animals, much longer than just the Easter season.Colvin says some people -mistakenly- believe the rabbits can easily live on their own if they’re released, but he says most die very quickly.Rabbits now account for the third-highest number of animal shelter pets, behind dogs and cats. The Rescue League has an adoption program for rabbits, which can make great pets. Colvin says they can even be litter box-trained.
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