Pet shops refuse to sell rabbits over Easter weekend to ward off 'impulse buys'

Rabbits have been banned by pet shop chains to stop "impulse" purchases over Easter weekend.

Pets at Home and Jollyes have both warned the public "rabbits are for life, not just for Easter" by introducing this move.

Pets at Home, which is the largest pet shop chain in the country, has paused the sale and adoption of the animals at all of its 457 stores nationwide over the weekend and is laying on free workshops to educate families on responsible pet ownership.

The retailer said Britons typically flock to join the Easter celebrations by buying a rabbit they cannot properly care for.

Rabbits have been banned by two pet shop chains this weekend (Getty Images/EyeEm)

“It’s one important step we take to help play our part in reducing impulse decisions over the festive period and promote responsible pet ownership," Karlien Heyrman, head of pets at Pets at Home said.

"We’ve paused the sale of rabbits over the Easter weekend for a number of years.

"Rabbits in particular can have more complex needs, including specific dietary and environment requirements, and our pet care advisors are trained to help owners understand these.

"We want to help as many pets into caring families as possible so the more we can do to help owners make the right choice for them, the better."

And Jollyes, another pet chain, has followed suit at its 84 stores, Telegraph reports.

Pets at Home has been praised for its move at each of its stores, including this one in Southend-on-Sea, Essex (Getty Images)

Phil Turner-Naylor, from Jollyes, said “rabbits won't be available for sale during the Easter period”, adding: “They can live up to 15 years which is a huge commitment.”

Last year, the RSPCA, the animal rescue charity, warned that the number of neglected rabbits was growing week on week, to 194 in 2021, despite those coming forward to offer re-homing locations falling by 40 per cent.

Action For Rabbits, a charity, has supported the pet shops' decisions as it says they'll make families mull over their decision for longer because “all the noise and excitement can result in pets getting stressed” at Easter.

While Easter bunnies are not part of the Bible or the traditional resurrection story of Jesus, they have grown in popularity as the festival has become commercialised in recent years.