Rescue centres are being overwhelmed with abandoned small mammals this Easter as protests grow across Scotland against pet shops selling live animals.
The Scottish SPCA say they have rescued more than 3,000 so-called “starter pets” including rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs, as well as birds and fish in the last five years.
Other small animal rescue charities across the country have taken in many hundreds more every year.
On Easter Sunday scores of children are expected to receive rabbits as Easter presents, despite warnings from rescue charities never to give live animals as gifts.
They warn once “bunny fever” has subsided they’re discarded like “unwanted Easter egg packaging”.
It comes as campaigners are targeting Scottish branches of Pets At Home – the UK’s largest pet retailer with 460 stores – calling for them to end the sale of live animals.
Rescue Not Retail – a nationwide group highlighting animal suffering in the pet industry – held demos at their stores in Glasgow and Edinburgh this week, with protestors holding signs claiming “Animal abuse in shops” and “Hamsters are not toys”.
Protests have also been held at several other UK locations.
Eilidh MacLeod, a veterinary student from Glasgow, says: “The animals sold at Pets at Home are highly sensitive exotic prey species, who are bred in intensive pet mills with high morbidity and mortality rates.
“Furthermore, these individuals are sold like objects without any stringent vetting protocol in place to make sure that they will be properly cared for.
“Enclosures sold by the company, which are far too small for the animals to live out their entire lives in, are recommended upon purchasing.”
Ms MacLeod added: “Rescue organisations are full to the brim of rabbits, hamsters, rats and guinea pigs waiting for loving homes and Pets at Home is only exacerbating this crisis.
“It is time for Pets at Home to live up to their slogan of ‘putting pets first’ and stop the outdated practice of selling live animals.”
The retail giant, which has 44 branches in Scotland, sells huge numbers of small mammals, fish and birds annually, which act as a sales driver for pet accessories such as cages and tanks, as well as foods.
Rival chain Jollyes, who have branches in East Kilbride, Perth, Stirling, Glenrothes, Edinburgh, Port Glasgow and Clydebank, removed live animals from all stores last year, winning praise from animal rescues.
Now campaigners want to see Pets At Home follow suit. The undisputed market leader, they also operate a massive veterinary and grooming service network, reporting statutory revenue of £1.48bn for the 2025 financial year.
Rescue Not Retail’s campaign calling for the retailer to cease selling live animals is backed by prominent animal advocates such as the BBC’s Chris Packham, actress Dame Joanna Lumley, and Scottish TV personality, presenter Gail Porter.
They have all signed the charity’s open letter to Pets at Home’s new CEO, James Bailey, alongside nearly 30 veterinary experts, animal rescue centres, charities, and organisations.
The charity told the former Waitrose managing director that “selling any and all animals as pets in your stores is a prevailing problem that’s causing a huge amount of misery to animals”.
It added: “We are writing this open letter in the hope that, in your new role as CEO, you recognise the ethical costs of selling animals on the shop floor and finally act to put an end to it.
“We would love to work with and support you in finding an ethical and effective way to phase out animal sales, to help align Pets at Home with current animal welfare attitudes.”
The Scottish SPCA say they rescued 3,322 small pets such as rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils and mice between 2020 and August 2025.
They currently have around 35 rabbits and another dozen small animals such as hamsters, gerbils and guinea pigs available for adoption.
They urge people to do their homework before buying rabbits, guinea pigs or mice stressing they have “complex needs”.
A spokesperson said: “We recognise that small pets, like all animals, can be vulnerable to neglect if they are bought on impulse or without proper understanding of their needs.
“That is why we place strong emphasis on prevention, education and responsible ownership.
“This includes guidance on the care of small pets on our website and a recent social media campaign highlighting the specific needs of rabbits.”
Pets At Home have been contacted for comment.
