The kind of rabbits that end up in shelters tend to be, surprise surprise, mixed breeds. This isn't just coincidence. Think about it. Show breeders don't breed mixed breeds. They breed purebreds. I looked at the websites of two local rescues, and counted how many possible purebreds there were. Out of the 127 rabbits on the rescues' websites, there are 6 that are possibly purebred. The rest are all mixed breeds. So if these rabbits aren't coming from show breeders...where are they coming from?
~Backyard breeders who wanted to make money out of selling lots of poor quality rabbits
~Irresponsible pet owners who wanted to raise a litter of babies
~Irresponsible pet owners who dumped their unwanted rabbits and allowed them to multiply
Let's think about those 6 purebreds though. If you do a Google search of rabbit breeders near you, how many come up that are show breeders? Hint: If you can't tell which are real show breeders and which are faking it, look for pictures of the breeding rabbits in their correct breed poses. If there are correctly posed pictures, this might be an actual show breeder. If there are no posed pictures, the breeder is definitely NOT a show breeder. The reason why the searches come up with predominantly irresponsible pet breeders is because show breeders for the most part don't HAVE to desperately advertise their rabbits because they find serious buyers through word of mouth.
Therefore, there is no logical reason why the rescues should be blaming reputable, ethical show breeders. The people who buy a purebred rabbit from a responsible show breeder for show, 4-H, or brood purposes are not the same market as those who want a rescue rabbit. However, even the best show breeders produce a certain amount of pet quality rabbits. But by being picky about what homes these rabbits go to, or making the choice to cull rather than let them go to an irresponsible home, these rabbits are not going to contribute to the number of rabbits in shelters. Besides, the type of people who do their research and decide on getting a purebred as a pet from a show breeder are not usually the same market as those who want rescue mixed-breeds. They want a rabbit that they know has been raised properly, is completely healthy, is from good genetic lines, and that they know the breed characteristics of. Therefore, good show breeders are not really contributing to the number of rabbits in shelters.
The problem is the irresponsible breeders and owners that let inferior rabbits reproduce for the purpose of money or personal enjoyment of raising a litter. These are the rabbits that are ending up in shelters. By all means, you should be annoyed at these people. But don't take out your frustration on good show breeders.
~Backyard breeders who wanted to make money out of selling lots of poor quality rabbits
~Irresponsible pet owners who wanted to raise a litter of babies
~Irresponsible pet owners who dumped their unwanted rabbits and allowed them to multiply
Let's think about those 6 purebreds though. If you do a Google search of rabbit breeders near you, how many come up that are show breeders? Hint: If you can't tell which are real show breeders and which are faking it, look for pictures of the breeding rabbits in their correct breed poses. If there are correctly posed pictures, this might be an actual show breeder. If there are no posed pictures, the breeder is definitely NOT a show breeder. The reason why the searches come up with predominantly irresponsible pet breeders is because show breeders for the most part don't HAVE to desperately advertise their rabbits because they find serious buyers through word of mouth.
Therefore, there is no logical reason why the rescues should be blaming reputable, ethical show breeders. The people who buy a purebred rabbit from a responsible show breeder for show, 4-H, or brood purposes are not the same market as those who want a rescue rabbit. However, even the best show breeders produce a certain amount of pet quality rabbits. But by being picky about what homes these rabbits go to, or making the choice to cull rather than let them go to an irresponsible home, these rabbits are not going to contribute to the number of rabbits in shelters. Besides, the type of people who do their research and decide on getting a purebred as a pet from a show breeder are not usually the same market as those who want rescue mixed-breeds. They want a rabbit that they know has been raised properly, is completely healthy, is from good genetic lines, and that they know the breed characteristics of. Therefore, good show breeders are not really contributing to the number of rabbits in shelters.
The problem is the irresponsible breeders and owners that let inferior rabbits reproduce for the purpose of money or personal enjoyment of raising a litter. These are the rabbits that are ending up in shelters. By all means, you should be annoyed at these people. But don't take out your frustration on good show breeders.