D.C.'s Washington Humane Society gave away rabbits for pennies recently. As one commenter who read the disturbing news article posted, "I hope this is … [an] April Fool's joke." Sadly, it wasn't. The animals were being adopted out for "29 cents in honor of the Leap Year."

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A Dangerous Plan

Selling animals for less than the price of a pack of gum devalues them and encourages spur-of-the-moment adoptions by people who have not considered whether or not they are ready to invest the substantial amount of money and care that animals need. It would have been easy for people to acquire the cheap bunnies to give as Easter gifts to children, so many will likely join the countless other neglected cast-off Easter bunnies and chicks who live in cramped cages in backyards or are abandoned outdoors, where they cannot survive and die painfully.

Other people's intentions could be much more sinister: Virtually free rabbits are often sought after by those looking for cheap snake food, dogfighting bait, and laboratory victims—even by those wanting to make rabbit stew.

'No-Kill' Hurts Animals

In response to pressure from "no-kill" advocates like Nathan Winograd and well-meaning members of the public, more and more animal shelters are stooping to these kinds of cheap and dangerous gimmicks to reduce their euthanasia statistics, even when it means shoving animals out the door without regard for each individual animal's well-being and safety. But if the number in the "adopted" column represents animals who suffered miserable fates and died at the hands of cruel or irresponsible people who have no idea what a rabbit needs, feels, or wants, that number starts to look pretty ugly.

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We're disappointed to report that, although the Obamas had publicly expressed their intention to adopt a dog from an animal shelter or rescue group, they have instead accepted a Portuguese water dog as a gift from Sen. Ted Kennedy.

Let us be clear: The new first dog, Bo, is not a rescue. While he was returned to the breeder by his first owners, that subtle point is missing from or buried in most news reports and is no doubt lost on the masses of people who will be lining up at pet shops and demanding "Obama puppies." These puppies will eventually lose their appeal, once people get tired of taking care of them, but because most pet shops and many breeders don't take "returns," guess where those unwanted "Obama puppies" are going to end up? At extremely crowded, overworked shelters like D.C.'s Washington Humane Society (WHS).

Speaking of which, the Obamas have promised to make a donation to WHS, which is great, but, as we told the President in a letter we sent today, WHS doesn't need his money as much as it needs his business (i.e., going in and adopting a shelter animal)—and the business of all the people who do what Obama did just because he did it.

The Obamas can't undo their missed opportunity to set a great example for Americans by adopting a shelter dog, but they can still set another important example: They can arrange for the first dog to become the last dog in his lineage by having him neutered. We've offered up our mobile clinic's services for the first "snip" and will let you know if the President takes us up on our offer.

Written by Alisa Mullins

Update: We are glad to report that Bo has been fixed, and we hope that the Obamas will publicly stress the importance of spaying and neutering. We also hope that they will encourage people to adopt mutts—lots of mutts are "hypo-allergenic," and, best of all, saving their lives is also good for your heart.