Marji Beach, program coordinator for Animal Place, feeds some of the nearly two dozen rabbits currently living at the sanctuary. (Joel Rosenbaum / The Reporter)
Every year, beginning shortly after Easter, Vacaville's Animal Place sanctuary is flooded with calls.

The story is always the same, said Marji Beach - the outreach programs coordinator for Animal Place. That fuzzy chick or fluffy bunny, typically bought on impulse at a pet or feed store, soon grows into a chicken or a rabbit.

The novelty of the pets tends to wear off quickly, or the owners find themselves unable to care for them. The scenario is almost always bad news for the animals involved.

"It's a pretty big problem,: Beach said. "Certainly two to three months after Easter, we get a huge influx of calls. They just lose interest; they didn't realize a rabbit or chicken requires a lot of work."

A number of animal advocacy

A Leghorn Chicken, a resident of the Animal Place, enjoys the sun on Thursday. (Joel Rosenbaum / The Reporter)
organizations, including the U.S. Humane Society and the House Rabbit Society, have encouraged giving chocolate bunnies or stuffed animals in lieu of live Easter gifts. The sad reality, they say, is that real Easter animals often wind up in shelters, neglected or abandoned.

Although bunnies may appear cuddly, Beach said, they actually "don't like being handled a lot, they're very sensitive." For that reason, The House Rabbit Society and Animal Place discourage them as companions for young children.

Beach also said that rabbits "require space to thrive" and "don't like living in cages." They are also very social creatures, she added, and enjoy being around others of their own kind.

The life span of a typical rabbit is eight to 10 years, Beach pointed out, and taking one into a home is a long-term commitment.

Chicks, likewise, can live into their teens. They require special care to thrive, Beach said, and can be "really sensitive to change in temperature."

As they grow, young chickens need plenty of room to scratch and peck in the dirt.

According to Karen Benzel, spokeswoman with Cordelia's International Bird Rescue Research Center, buying a chick at Easter is not only inadvisable, but it can be dangerous and unsanitary. These baby birds, as well as reptiles, can transmit salmonella infection.

"It's hard to understand what people are thinking when they buy pets on impulse and without educating themselves to the animal's needs and requirements," Benzel wrote in a piece titled "No Escape from Harsh Reality." "Animal shelters are filled to capacity largely due to ignorance."

For those whose hearts really are set on adopting a rabbit or chicken, Beach encourages them to "do their research and find out what it takes to take care of these animals." Her advice is to wait until well after Easter and adopt an animal in need from a local shelter.

Children can spend time with bunnies, chickens and other animals, without taking them home, during Animal Place's kids' tour today from 10 to 11:30 a.m. During the event, which is $5 per person, kids can search for candy-filled plastic eggs,

Future kids' tours, according to the organization's Web site, are scheduled for June 7 and August 11.For further information, visit the site at www.animalplace.org.