A rabbit charity is campaigning against the growing problem of abandoned Easter bunnies bought as pets.

The Rabbit Welfare Association, based in Horsham, has launched a campaign in response to the hundreds of pet rabbits abandoned every year in Sussex and the 35,000 abandoned nationally.

The charity has said Easter is the peak time of year when people buy rabbits on a whim as gifts for children without thinking about the responsibility of owning one.

In a bid to force people to think before buying a bunny, the charity, which runs a rabbit helpline, has launched the Make Mine Chocolate campaign.

Anne Mitchell, a trustee of the Rabbit Welfare Association, said: “Ninety per cent of abandoned rabbits are bought as children's pets and were given up after the first year because they've grown bored.

“Rabbits are a big commitment and we are still not getting the message across. Rescue centres are still full with unwanted rabbits.”

The campaign has two main aims. The first is to discourage people from buying rabbits as impulse gifts – especially at Easter and to instead buy children a chocolate Easter bunny or a soft toy.

The second is to educate people about the responsibilities in keeping a pet rabbit properly in that it needs to be with other rabbits and have plenty of space to run around and be free.

The campaign has received backing from the RSPCA which is keen to see an end to people not keeping rabbits correctly.

A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said: “We like to see rabbits living in the right conditions they need and not living alone because they're social creatures.

“People have got to make sure the rabbits have got a proper run to go round in and not locked up in a small hutch.

“One of the saddest sights is a little rabbit alone in a small hutch at the bottom of the garden. That's just the exact opposite of its needs.”

For more information about the campaign visit www.makeminechocolate.co.uk To contact the Rabbit Welfare Association's helpline call 0870 046 5249.