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April 22, 2006
Rabbit Story on National Public Radio
We received an email through the "Make Mine Chocolate!" address alerting us to this story that aired earlier this week on National Public Radio's Living on Earth program. Needless to say, as a long-time listener and supporter of NPR, I'm very disappointed. I did not personally hear this story; our local stations do not carry this program. However, a transcript is available at http://www.loe.org/shows/shows.htm?programID=06-P13-00015#feature4
While the breeder in the story sounds as though she's trying to be responsible in making sure her Easter rabbits are going to good homes, the bigger picture is that many of these rabbits will still end up in shelters, with rescue groups, or set free to die because their families were not prepared for the reality of living with a rabbit. The "Make Mine Chocolate!" campaign was started specifically to combat the problem of people giving/getting live rabbits at Easter, only to become disinterested in them in the following weeks or months.
Please read the transcript, then contact them and politely explain why this story is troublesome. The contact information for the show is
comments@loe.org
(1-800-218-9988)
Living on Earth
20 Holland Street Suite 408
Somerville, MA 02144-2749
NPR's contact information (including a "pitch page") is at
http://www.npr.org/contact/
Please request that they do a story on Easter rabbits from a rescue groups' perspective. Be sure to include our web address at www.columbusrabbit.org and the "Make Mine Chocolate!" address at www.makeminechocolate.org.
Let's tell them that the rabbits "living on earth" are not disposable pets.
If you need help getting started, I have drafted a sample letter that can be used for both NPR and Living on Earth. For an electronic copy (in MS Word) please contact me at terri@columbusrabbit.org.
Posted by Terri at April 22, 2006 4:44 PM