Animals that are domesticated and available in pet stores should not be found on the shelves of grocery stores. There is no sale of the meat of other domesticated animals such as guinea pigs, dogs, cats, ferrets, or even snakes. As they are available in pet stores and humane societies as pets to adopt, they should not be available for sale to eat! We do not eat our pets. Rabbits are domesticated pets, therefore, they should not be on the shelves!
Rabbits raised for meat in Canada are destined for a life of confinement, over-breeding, stressful and dangerous transport, and inhumane slaughter practices. Because rabbit farming in Canada is less organized than other animal farming, no laws or Recommended Codes of Practice exist to guide farmers on the proper care of rabbits. This means that guidelines around basic needs such as feed and water, minimum space requirements, and protection during slaughter and transport, are lacking. Thus they live short and miserable lives; many are even conscious during slaughter because of this. Many of these meat breeders also breed rabbits as pets, so there is no distinct separation between the farmed rabbits and those that are bred for domestication as pets.
We the undersigned are appalled that Longo's provides rabbit meat on the shelves for purchase. We are offended by this practice as rabbits are a common pet, being the third most popular domesticated animal in North America. Thus, they do not belong on grocery shelves!
