Chinese New Year 2023: How You Can Help Rabbits

According to the lunar calendar, 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit. Rabbits are the symbol of longevity, peace, and prosperity in Chinese culture.

Rabbits are gentle, socially complex, intelligent animals, each with their own personality. These sweet animals are omnipresent in our culture and often associated with positive memories of children’s stories and cuddly toys. However, they are one of the most exploited animals on the planet and often endure lives that are far from peaceful.

As we enter the Year of the Rabbit, here’s a look at some of the worst ways in which humans exploit and torment these gentle animals – and how we can help end this abuse.

Experiments on Rabbits

Pregnant rabbits are used in tests in which experimenters restrain them and force-feed them chemicals in order to see whether the substances will cause their babies to be born with abnormalities or even die. These mothers may suffer from convulsions, weight loss, and miscarriages. At the end of the pregnancy, they and their surviving unborn babies are killed.

Sign our petition urging the government to end these cruel tests:

Electrocuted for Fur

PETA entities have repeatedly revealed that animals used in the fur industry spend their entire lives confined to filthy cages before eventually being beaten, electrocuted, gassed, or skinned alive. On angora farms, rabbits are typically live-plucked up to four times a year. During this terrifying process, they’re physically restrained while workers tear their fur out causing them to scream in pain.

Despite being notified of the cruelty, Etsy still allows its users to sell items made from rabbit fur. Items sold include rabbit-fur coats, decorations, scarves, and other accessories. Call on Etsy to ban the sale of fur items on its platform:

Killed for Food

Rabbits are social, smart, and lively animals who live in groups and dig burrows in which to raise their young. However, most rabbits raised for their flesh are kept on intensive farms, where they are crammed into tiny cages without room to roam or jump. After a miserable life, they’re hung upside down and their throats are slit so they can be dismembered and their body parts be sold to shops and restaurants.

The best thing you can do to stop rabbits being killed for food is to go vegan:

Abandoned in Shelters

People who buy rabbits on a whim have no idea of the amount of work and commitment needed to care for these sensitive and easily spooked animals, so they are frequently abandoned in shelters. They can live for more than 10 years, and they require care and attention every day. Many people are unaware of how to provide them with appropriate nutrition, a nurturing environment with room to run and jump, and regular veterinary check-ups.

Always adopt, never shop. If you have the time, love, and money to care for a rabbit, please visit a shelter or contact a rabbit rescue group – and find two to adopt, because these animals love company.

Veganise Your Chinese New Year Celebrations

Food is a big part of Chinese New Year – it’s said to be the most important meal of the year in Chinese culture. Be sure to veganise your Lunar New Year dishes and celebrate with compassion for rabbits – and all other animals.