PLEASE remove your article: https://www.intheknow.com/post/low-maintenance-trial-pets-kids/?amp&fbclid=IwAR2dZLJ1q5YWtv_v5xe1twjn_mgjihXQtkmI6XxSz-bdcJLFBtRpn7ZBUMI
THIS idea of teaching responsibility with an animal or that certain animals are a stepping stone to a dog or cat is so misguided. Parents need to be prepared to care for the pet when the child inevitably loses interest. Pets are lifelong commitments - especially rabbits, they live until 12+ years if properly cared for...and they certainly are NOT cuddly or good for young children.They cost as much as a cat or dog for veterinary care and it is nothing shy of criminal to deny them that.

Be responsible and do not add to the problem of pet abandonment, neglect and suffering by printing articles such as this horrible, inaccurate one! Thank you.

See: https://rabbit.org/ for accurate and responsible information.

In the article "Baby Hacks", the first two ideas are extremely dangerous and should be pulled from airing. I am a Pediatrician working in a hospital and think that two of these ideas pose a serious risk to injuring or killing kids. Taping the plastic bag of glitter or tiny objects to a high chair is a terrible idea. The bag could break or accidentally open and baby puts those tiny pieces in mouth potentially causing a suffocation hazard or aspiration into the airway. Also, no parent should allow a baby to play with a plastic bag. EVER!!! These are a major suffocation risk if they can get at any or part of the bag. Also, sucking on whole mango is a bad idea. The skin of a mango contains compounds akin to poison oak (urushiol). This can cause severe allergic reactions and skin changes similar to a first or second degree BURNS. I've seen it happen a few times. This reaction can also be delayed by hours or days, thus confusing a parent as to the cause. This is a BAD IDEA. Please remove the content!!!! Laura Maselli, MD Carmichael, California.

I am flabbergasted this was allowed to be published. No animals are trial pets! Each animal is a commitment and deserves to be well looked after. This is a misleading article because majority of animals take a lot of work, especially rabbits and they are not suited for kids! This article shows a lack of competency on behalf of the author for not doing research. This needs to be rectified immediately, with a factual article
Published about the realities of rabbit care. This article will be responsible for parents getting their children rabbits, which are ten year commitments, and then the rabbit getting neglected once the children get bored and complete their ‘trial’ and get a dog. I am just speechless at the negligence and I hope this is fixed immediately.

NO pet, especially rabbits, are "starter" pets or stepping stones to a dog. These are living, breathing animals that deserve proper care and attention. Not to be a "lesson" to see if your irresponsible kid can handle an even more labor intensive animal. They all require appropriate, timely and adequate care. They all deserve MORE than the BARE MINIMUM of attention. Rabbits are NOT gentle, they have teeth and nails like any animal. Lizards often require specific temperature ranges to even SURVIVE. Fish require CLEAN ph balanced water for their specific type and gerbils and hamsters, while inexpensive, require socialization, interaction, and plenty of cleaning. If your kid can't handle simple tasks such as schoolwork, chores, and self care, do not EVER give them ANY living animal that NEEDS CARE. You people make me sick.

Your "Trial Pets..." article severely miscalculates the time, work, knowledge, and financial investment required to provide for the animals named in the article, many of which are exotic animals with care requirements that may meet or exceed the demands of a dog. Consider how the language used in this article, "trial," "low-maintenance," "starter," etc., encourages a devaluation of the lives of these living creatures. While shelters and rescue groups work tirelessly to encourage responsible animal ownership, uninformed and inaccurate articles like this plant different seeds in the minds of readers and sow mistrust of the advise of experts whose information greatly contradicts the harmful narrative that you portray here.

I encourage you to consider removing this article and publishing a revision. Rabbit Rescue & Rehab (nyc.metro.rabbits@gmail.com) would gladly contribute to an article informing your readers about the special care needs of rabbits and highlighting the sheer magnitude of rabbit surrenders, outdoor abandonments (a death sentence for a domestic rabbit), and mistreatment that occurs year round but peaks at Easter time. Please reach out to us; we would happily collaborate to correct this article.

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Have the facts before printing an article:

"Mom is asked to leave gym due to her workout clothes..."

Your article goes on the erroneous assumption that the woman at the gym was fat-shamed. What appears to actually be the case is that the gym does have a policy about what can be exposed on the body - irrespective of body type.

So many social media platforms are quick and desirous to nail someone to the wall for the slightest perceived transgression. Doing so, in fact, is dangerous to society by ultimately leading so many to believe a false narrative.

Treating people reasonably is no doubt a social goal. There are limits, however, to what people should be asked to do where this is concerned. Certainly, social media writers are held to the same standard. Get the facts before writing - and certainly, publishing - an article.

This article is ridiculous and inaccurate.

1. No pets are “trial pets” and referring to them as such spreads the ignorant notion that they are dispensable.
2. Articles like this are the reason that 7 million animals a year are abandoned in a shelter (rabbits are 3rd on the list next to cats and dogs).
3. Let’s specifically focus on rabbits... they are not “low maintenance pets.” They require more time and attention than just about any animal. They are fragile, skiddish, and suspectible to a vast array of illnesses and conditions. They need constant exercise but it’s not exactly safe to take them outside. They can overheat easily. There is a lack of vets even equipped to treat exotic pets. And finding an emergency vet? Almost impossible. There is an Easter fad to go buy a bunny which is why so many are bought off of an impulse and then abandoned once the work and cost of neutering, enriching, bonding, exercising, and properly feeding them sets in.

This article should be deleted. It is contributing to the ignorance and encouraging these impulse buys that will result in millions of animal deaths.

No pet should ever be a trial pet. Also, I am a bunny owner. Let me educate you before this article results in many rabbits being dumped at animal shelters. Rabbits can live more than 10 years if taken care of properly. You are making a commitment. They require vet visits, proper diet, lots of space and care. They cannot live in a cage. They diet is costly. Hay is expensive, especially good quality hay. As for droppings not being everywhere, yes, they still will even if litter trained. Don’t even get me started on how destructive they are. You have to keep all wires off the floor, they rip up carpet for fun, they chew on all wooden furniture and like to eat holes in clothes. With vet visits, they must go yearly and also get nails trimmed for time to time. They have to go to an exotic vet, which can be costly and hard to find. Did I also mention they aren’t the biggest fan of small children? It’s unfortunate that you guys fail to do research on the articles you write. As a former journalist, this garbage is very upsetting. Just take it down.