Reactions from rabbit volunteers to announcement by Whole Foods
Published in THUMP: New York City Metro Rabbit News
October 2015
News of the Whole Foods Market Inc. decision set off a nationwide wave of celebration on social media, with rabbit rescue workers and animal-rights activists posting comments and expressions of collective relief. Facebook postings poured in on the afternoon of Tuesday, September 15, with the news spreading widely within the first hour.
Among the early Facebook reactions were:
“YESSSSSSS” -Jessica Wolfinger
“So exciting!!!!!” -Nicole Fusco-Evans
“It’s a great win. Shows that the bunny world came together and made a statement.” -Kevin Dresser, Brooklyn Bunny
“Okay, so what’s next on the list!?” -Marcie Frishberg
“I am saying a thank you prayer full of gratitude. I am elated.” -Robert Kulka
“I’m so freaking happy! We did it!” -Patty Melt
“When I heard earlier, I almost had a heart attack! I am over the moon!!!! Tears of joy!” -Jeanine Valand
“We made a difference and we saved souls, beautiful souls.” -Tim Neithercott
And it was a similar response on Twitter:
“To all those who protested, wrote letters, boycotted, called, and signed petitions, the bunnies thank you! -Missouri House Rabbit Society of Kanas City
“Peter Bun and I are thrilled! Thank you Whole Foods for listening. I look forward to returning as a customer!” -Alison Jefferies
“Whole Foods ends rabbit meat sales! One down and so many more to go. Keep fighting for the cows, pigs…” -Nashville Animal Advocacy
New York’s volunteers continue to celebrate the victory. Maho Honda, who helped to publicize the Manhattan protests with her photographs, said: It’s wonderful news! Thank you everyone who protested and boycotted together! I hope this will lead to truly humane treatment of the other meat products now still on their shelves.” Maho wore a kimono and rabbit ears at Union Square when she joined the protest last summer. Robert Kulka, who had participated in the Union Square demonstrations and purchased several websites amid the protest, said, “Meantime I suppose I can let wholefoodsrecipes.com, wholefoodsrabbit.com, and wholefoodsrabbitmeat.com websites expire now. Or may try to sell at least wholefoodsrecipes.com to them?” Yumi Nakayama added: This is great news! Even though I joined the protest and tried to tell people, somewhere I was thinking this might never happen since they are such a giant company. So I was rather surprised but so proud being (earlier) part of this! Yay for bunnies!! Larry Marion summed up the feelings of many rabbit advocates in this way: As a vegan, and activist, an animal rights advocate and a rabbit rescue volunteer, it restores my faith in the process of working toward something that is right and speaking up on behalf of those that cannot speak (at least in human terms) for themselves. If enough people raise their voices we can effect change. Hope is not lost! Faith is rekindled. Although I know it was purely an economic decision, I’m grateful that Whole Foods took the step. As one of my heroes, Patti Smith, so eloquently said, “People Have the Power.” There are still billions of animals being imprisoned and slaughtered daily for food, needlessly, that still need us to speak out for them. Whole Foods now says on their website that their butchers (boy, that word really gets to me) recommend that people eat lamb, deer (venison), buffalo, pheasant and quail, since they determined that “sales volume did not justify the continuation or expansion of the pilot to a national program.” For me, it’s about the animals, not the money.