Your thoughts? Fairs with rabbits for sale

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PikaPika

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images (51).jpgState_Fair_of_Virginia_kicks_off_Friday_3_57226207_ver1.0-1.jpgimages (1).jpgwa-whitman-county-palouse-empire-fair-rabbits-in-the-4h-competition-B417DW.jpg
IDK where to put this. I probably chose the wrong section, but, what are your thoughts on fairs having rabbits for sale? With children running around being loud, and 'Stragers' (to them, at least) picking them up and sticking their fingers in there, Idk what to even call that, jail cell?
 
We had a monthly fair like this, it was a great event, you got to meet people, talk and ask specific questions, and could find and sell pretty much everything.
But some self entitled *bleep* shut it down. Lots more rabbits ending up in the woods or stove now because it got really difficult to find new owners.

It may not align with your vision of a perfect world, but I never saw rabbits in undue stress. It's just you feeling bad seeing all that wire, not the rabbits. They are more resilient than you give them credit for, that's not such a big deal for them. Not everything looking bad is bad because you can project prejudice and create a narrative claiming how awful something that doesn't fit your point of view must be.

The people going there like their animals, they care for them well. They are not bad, cruel people, in the contratry.
Not the way cute youtube videos and pet sites claim to be the only right way to handle rabbits, but that's a small bubble, often somewhat disconnected from reality.

So, my thoughts: If someone doesn't like it, just don't go there, don't show, don't breed, just enjoy the product of something such fairs are a part of. Don't claim a high moral ground and force your opinion about something you do not fully understand.

Note: With "you" anyone that feels addressed is meant, not actually you ;), english isn't my first language.
 
I used to show at these fairs as a kid
If I had a rabbit that didn't handle stress well: I didn't take them. These rabbits are largely owned by youth 4H and FFA members. A good fair will make efforts to try and keep the public in check around the rabbits; such as giving the rabbits a little area away from all the activity, making sure kids are attended and keeping the noise down in the barn. The one I did growing up had the owners sign up to take turns guarding the rabbits, to make sure nobody tries to stick fingers in the cages or, god forbid, open them. Although the public could be a nuisance sometimes it was a great way to educate the public! A lot of them had never even seen a domestic rabbit in person before, and I would take out my friendlier rabbits for them to pet - often, especially for the kids it was their first time touching a rabbit as well. We would tell the public about all the different breeds of rabbits and answer their questions about how the rabbits were as pets.

Edit: I also want to add, I don't think that bottom left picture was taken at the fair. That's not a fair coop; those are transport cages. They're usually loaded up on carts like that to bring them to the judging table at shows, so they're usually not in those cages for more than twenty minutes or so.
 

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