Open Letter to All my Animal Friends

Last fall I ran across an article in the newspaper about how in August/September animal shelters are over run with rabbits because people tend to buy them for Easter gifts, then the novelty wears off and they end up abandoned in animal shelters. My original plan was to go to the shelter and make a donation. Which I made it to the shelter I just never got to the donation part. It was very busy that day, so I looked around at the cages they had in the waiting area while I waited to talk to someone. In the corner, was a crazy haired rabbit, which was like no creature I had ever seen. It was love at first sight, and I was a new rabbit owner after filling out some adoption papers.

I really had no idea how to care for a rabbit, so I spent the next week surfing the internet doing research. In the meantime the rabbit and I stared at each other a lot. I thought it would be cool to share him with my Facebook friends, so I began to take him out of the cage and take his pictures. He would stand perfectly still, he loved having his picture taken I thought to myself, how odd.

I spent the next week texting and posting pictures of him on my Facebook page, and then I had an idea. What if I could help other rabbits that were still at the shelter? What if I gave him a Facebook page to help spread awareness that all types of animals end up in shelters? I created him an account, even dressed him up in little costumes for his profile pictures. I would post things about adoptions, and new pictures. My husband and a lot of my friends thought I was insane when I told them what I was doing.

My rabbit is unusual looking so he got a lot of attention, and comments over the next few months. Pretty soon 5 friends grew in to 400, and I learned that there was a whole community of people on Facebook who had pet pages. I talked to people who really generally just care about animals, and embrace each other for what they are trying to accomplish. I began to find the time I spent on his page was becoming very enjoyable.

I was in awe of the selfless work rescue organizations did with their pages trying to find animals homes. Some nights I would sit and read the News feeds and cry, because of all the animals whose time has run out at shelters, or friends whose best friends passed over the Rainbow Bridge that day. I began to see a different side of Facebook, no aggressive comments, or sarcastic responses to posts. I saw people who are very protective over each other and their animals. If someone is up to no good, they let all their friends know immediately. The work they do trying to find animal’s forever homes is very serious to them, and negativity is not tolerated in their community.

An impulsive moment of adoption had turned into so much more for me. My rabbit has friends who sometimes are people just remembering the rabbits they once loved. Some are just people who love their animals and know that people can learn from their pet’s stories. Others don’t have the money to donate, but they know that they can help by reposting shelter animals that need homes on their pages. Nothing is wrong with any of them; in the 4 months I have been on Facebook with my rabbit, I have only been inspired.

Yesterday I read the News feed and saw that Facebook is deleting animal pages. The justification is the fake account policy, and there is comparisons in the media to pet accounts being no different from pedophiles who make fake child accounts to lure children. I really do think that on line predators are a serious issue, but comparing people who love their pets to them is really a little over the top. I do not understand why animal lovers have to be labeled as “weird”. The people who have pet pages are only trying to give animals a voice. If animals had voices, the unspeakable cruelties that happen to them everyday would have higher legal ramifications. The whole point is animals need Facebook pages; they need their owners to spread awareness. Shelters are overrun with animals that have to die because it is us “people”, who are irresponsible, not them.

There are no crazy cat ladies with too much free time on their hands. There are instead people who use their animals to get messages out to save other animals. There are opossums, and squirrels that do more in their day on Facebook than the average person ever will. There are guinea pigs that go to adoption fairs, turtles that spread awareness when owners are sick and need prayers. Selfless is how to describe these people not crazy. They are really true friends to each other, and animals around the world.

When did it become wrong to be positive or doing something good? In a time when children are committing suicide over cyber bullying, I think Facebook really should be worrying about the environments they are promoting. I really do not care to read that Johnny Joe is drunk, or that Sallie Mae Has No Job hates her ex husband. I have seen horrible profile pictures that border on pornography. I have never seen those accounts deleted. Instead they target the pet profiles, because it disrupts the communication process one article said. Does it really disrupt or is it just not aggressive enough for Facebook standards. I can tell you the News feed on my personal page is a lot worse than on my rabbits. I actually prefer my rabbits to mine on most days. I actually see hope for humanity on my rabbits page because all I see is kindness.

Is labeling and fear just an easy justification for the deletions? Is the truth that the animals of Facebook just don’t fit into a target audience they want on Facebook? Is it because shelter animals can’t go to keggers on weekend? Is it because their owners actually respect each other? Before someone’s hard work and passions are deleted Facebook might want to take a look at what they are really deleting.

I am not a martyr, although I pull out my soapbox often over improper things people do at the grocery stores or in traffic. I am however an advocate for a part of Facebook that is getting a bad reputation. In a time of communication revolution, can’t Facebook share and let some people do some good for some animals who are in crisis. Is that really so bad?

If they want to crack down on fake accounts, explain to me why there are multiple celebrity accounts on there. I really don’t think Justin Bieber has ten Facebook pages (Bieber fans please don’t burn down my house). Try typing in random words and see what ridiculous names or pages come up. Facebook might want to take a look at the “Jungle Juice Wrap Party”, “I Hate People Who Chew Like A Cow”, “Smacking People Stupid” or “Beer Party” pages first and leave the animals alone. Animals have enough strikes against them as it is, the last thing they need is another enemy.