Animals shouldn't be sold to unsupervised minors

To the Editor:

County fairs usually have something for everyone. Whether you go for the rides, the food, the exhibits, the entertainment or even the beer tent, just about everyone can find something they are looking for at our county fairs.

The same is true for the inconsiderate and irresponsible people who go looking to unload their unwanted animals on impulsive spenders and children. I am referring to the people who bring their bunnies to the fair with the hopes of selling them to anyone willing to buy them.

I would think no responsible person would sell a live animal to a minor without a parent, guardian or other adult present to agree to the purchase, but that is exactly what happened this year at the Gogebic County Fair.

Someone whom I know personally allowed their teenage daughter to attend the fair on Sunday with her friends. When her father went to pick her up she had two bunnies with her. The girl was told that she could not keep them; her family’s house is a rental and they are not allowed to have pets. The girl was heartbroken, as was the family.

The bunnies were too small (and too tame) to be released alone into the wild, so the responsibility of finding a good, safe home was now left up to this family. The situation caused an eruption of emotion and turmoil in the home that evening. The inconsiderate person who was responsible for this should be ashamed of themselves.

Those individuals giving or selling animals need to stop and think. They are selling a bunny to a minor without a parent or guardian’s consent. Did they stop and think about the welfare of the bunnies or that they sold to impulsive buyers who found the bunnies cute for a day or two before they realized how much work was involved?

Did they stop to think that a lot of the people they sold bunnies to had no idea how to take care of them or even knew what they ate? These are living, breathing animals that do not deserve to be abused, neglected or abandoned.

The county fair board needs to be aware of these types of situations and be proactive in protecting the animals that are being brought to the fairgrounds.

Jessica Carli

Saxon, Wis.