Dear Friends,

We have great news for you today: PETCO Ceases Sale of Rabbits

House Rabbit Society (HRS) is delighted to announce that PETCO has
decided to cease its sale of rabbits in all PETCO stores. PETCO will
begin phasing rabbits out of its stores immediately and as of early
2009, the only rabbits available at PETCO stores should be rabbits
from shelters or rescue organizations.

HRS, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing rabbits and
educating the public about proper rabbit care, blames thousands of
cases of rabbit neglect, abandonment, and euthanasia on impulse
purchases of rabbits at pet stores.

Because PETCO is one of the largest pet supply chains in the United
States, its decision to stop all rabbit sales will have an enormous
impact on the plight of surplus and homeless rabbits in this country,
and HRS applauds PETCO's intelligent decision.

HRS also applauds the work of animal welfare groups around the
country who have been urging PETCO for years to stop the sale of
rabbits, birds, and other animals in their stores. The work of these
groups has no doubt played an important part in PETCO's decision. In
addition, local rabbit rescue groups have also been instrumental in
this decision, through their work in establishing rabbit adoption
programs in their local communities, and ending the sale of rabbits
in those regions with adoption programs.

As the world's largest rabbit rescue organization, and with a website
that gets over a million hits per week, House Rabbit Society has
played a leading role in rescuing and placing abandoned rabbits
around the world. As of 2008, HRS volunteers have rescued over 20,000
rabbits, the vast majority of whom were originally purchased through
pet stores and breeders.

HRS encourages PETCO to reach out to animal rescue groups and animal
shelters all across the country in order to help those organizations
adopt out their homeless rabbits, birds, and small animals. PETCO
can, and should, play a leading role in rehoming, rather than
selling, adoptable animals in all of their stores, and HRS hopes that
PETCO will use responsible criteria in screening adopters, and
providing them with educational materials.

House Rabbit Society looks forward to working with PETCO to shine a
spotlight on the plight of unwanted rabbits, and to help end the
euthanasia of rabbits in our nation's shelters.

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