17,000 rabbits vie for the top spot of "Best in Show"

[@CBCdocs]

Watch the full doc "Remarkable Rabbits' (Canada only) @

[@CassieArledge]

Lovely show! Going to any rabbit show you can see the love and care that goes into raising rabbits and making sure that they are healthy, sound, and well cared for. And everyone is more than willing to talk about their rabbits with people, where you can see the excitement they have about the hobby :)

[@cccc7534]

what 🤣 trapping them in tiny wire bottom cages with loud noises that trigger their anxiety is taking good care of them? no. taking good care of a rabbit is free roaming, liter box training, and NOT forcing them to be show rabbits.

[@klover_leaf]

​@@cccc7534Ethical breeding and handling from day one. Having emotionally stable rabbits who are more than happy in the show environment.

[@MorgansPals]

I Love ARBA! Rabbit people are awesome!! 💕

[@abigailoberhauser1420]

It's so cool that I know and recognize some of these people! It's an amazing community, I love it

[@jimwilson7364]

Judges always said I could make a better rabbit than most can buy. Hit the secret on breeding

[@Phantomsandthings]

I was here to see what it was like cos I was interested in putting my bunny in show but after seeing this hard pass ugh the way they are handling those rabbits the cages the atmosphere for the bunnies it’s cruel !!! Glad I did my research though

[@froggo3682]

How is it cruel? They go there to see how their breeding program is doing. Also, the way they handle the rabbits is very humane. No, you didn't do your research.

[@Phantomsandthings]

@@froggo3682 if you think keeping your rabbit in a cage like that for hours on end with that many other rabbits around I would not put my rabbit through this I can understand show rabbits but it’s not for me :) to me I PERSONALLY find it cruel

[@AnotherRealmP-dl6pw]

It’s a temporary cage by the way I take my rabbits to the show and they are not stressed at all. However I will respect your opinion

[@klover_leaf]

​@@PhantomsandthingsDo you want horse shows to provide pastures for every horse? Or the 8×8-10×10 stalls that are TEMPORARY and a place foe the animal to decompress

[@missbealovesalbert8353]

I have a pair of gorgeous show quality double mained lionheads. I purposely bought, spade and nuetuerted them, so they could have a life just as bunnies. No cages. No shows. No breeding for these two!

[@klover_leaf]

Do you want a cookie? If it's the one in your profile picture, it's a non-showable VM. It's a cull from a BYB pet breeder. lmfao

[@missbealovesalbert8353]

@@klover_leaf 👍

[@XPrincess30]

That was short

[@snorlax905]

yeah, way too short.

[@stormfiretheog9183]

It's really cool they have this but I would like them not too hold the rabbits on they're back if any of the grommers do that too my rabbit I might as well not even come becuse that is extremly stressful for rabbits aspecually holding on the scruff!! That could give so many rabbits panic attacks!!

[@TomikaKelly]

None of the 1700 rabbits died from this event...

[@stormfiretheog9183]

@TomikaKelly they still gave them unescosary stress it would scare them and holding rabbits on the skruff is painful they don't have the same skin as cats.

[@klover_leaf]

​@stormfiretheog9183 None of these rabbits were scruffed. A judge can lose their license for scruffing, it's mishandling of the animal. They're flipped by supporting the hindquarter and holding the base of the ear and skull to keep the rabbit calm and secure. That stops them from flipping themselves back over and hurting themselves. Trancing is 100% a myth.

[@amandaengelman5168]

Nobody is holding them by their scruff. Scuffing a rabbit will get you yelled at real quick at a rabbit show. They are holding them around their head and shoulders. Flipping them on their back does not harm them. These rabbits are handled regularly and are conditioned for this. They are not stressed. Did you hear him talk about how much some of those rabbits cost? Nobody is going to spend that kind of money on an animal and then risk it's life.

[@jimwilson7364]

Got out of showing in 2000 was getting beat by the judges. Daughter lost BIS to a completely pee covered Dutch. After show judge told the boy come by the house you can have his brother too. So you tell me

[@SilverFlame819]

Shows are judged anonymously, soooo.... ?

[@jimwilson7364]

@SilverFlame819 you haven't been around shows too long have you. It got to the point I had someone else put my rabbits on the table on certain judges. They are no longer judging. Glad I held my temper in check back then. The top breeders on the breeds I raised said the same thing about the judges in question. That's why I loved national shows they had to go by coop numbers instead of ear numbers. I've looked at active judges and thankfully they are gone. Yes I rode to shows with a judge show officials knew this. If Bill judged my rabbits and I won under him I earned it because he was harder on my rabbits than any other breeder. He said I knew and was taught better. He always told people I could make a better rabbits than they could raise. Found out the secret from old breeders at conventions. One Florida White Senior Doe was using as a breeder was 3 years old my mom told me I should show her I did. 10 Best of Breeds, 10 Best 4 Classes and 10 Best in Show wins plus Florida White National so I know what I was doing back then and could do same if I came back now

[@SilverFlame819]

@@jimwilson7364 Been in the show rabbit world on and off since 88. Never seen that happen. I do notice now that judges do not check ear numbers until they place the rabbits, whereas they used to look in the ears for mites and such. I wonder if that's because the issue you mention was becoming a problem in certain areas, so now there's no looking until the end, when they give the placing of the rabbit, then open the ear to read off the tat to the scribe?

[@mylaestreliaestrelia1030]

so nice rabbit

[@Grace-em6dl]

I got a best in show recently

[@rr1624]

These aren’t rabbit lovers, if you were you’d adopt 1.42 you don’t hold a rabbit on their back, this causes huge stress

[@froggo3682]

No, that's incorrect. It is because of these hard working breeders that you now have these breeds you know and love. They have been working hard to improve the health and quality of their specific breed.

[@klover_leaf]

I want rabbits that are healthy and mentally sound. If they'd let me get shelter rabbits instead of breeding meat rabbits, that'd be great 🤷‍♀️. It'd help exponentially with the "overpopulation" that supposedly exists if we stopped hoarding livestock animals in "rescues" just so they can flip them for profit.

[@4-hfarm671]

I have a english angora rabbit show quality pedigreed beautiful opal doe she was up against some tough competition i was told she would have gotten reserve grand champion if she wasn't so skinny she had a nice length of wool verry good texture and liveliness but she dumps her food over so her weight is down what can I do to fix that im thinking if breeding her soon I oaued $150 for her so hopefully her babys do good in the ring

[@polinatalmeltzer450]

💜🐇

[@artisticbunny3987]

i dont like how they pick them up by their ears thats mean

[@nycholenewman2129]

Never once have I seen anyone hold rabbits by their ears.

[@artisticbunny3987]

@@nycholenewman2129 2:23 guy holds the rabbits ears. they are beautiful creatures and should not be held like that. They can be shown ( they are lovely to look at) but are fluffy living beings.

[@alixwhitehead1603]

@@artisticbunny3987 he isnt holding it by the ears, he is putting the ears together when the animal is lifted up so that its posed better for judging.

[@emmaesta9444]

When you flip a rabbit over onto its back during a show, it can look like they are grabbing them by the ears but they are grabbing the scruff. You have to have control over the rabbit and for some its easier to have the ears pinned and for them to pull the scruff. There are strict rules against picking a rabbit up by its ears in shows. Everyone knows its not nice to do it and so people can get in serious trouble if they do it

[@artisticbunny3987]

Deadpanann ! That sounds good. As long as the buns are ok 👌🏻

[@AahanGame-12]

hey suppport australian rabbit"s

[@sammymarshall2911]

I very much enjoy the non-show/house rabbit community trying to poke their heads into stuff like this. Maybe you read a book that told you how to treat your poor buns, and now you feel very validated by your opinions. This is obviously a video made for people in the show business, please don’t push your opinions onto people who obviously don’t want it or need it. Thank you

[@mylaestreliaestrelia1030]

wow sow meny

[@skyelste8896]

Ohh no no noooo. Never lay your rabbit on its back or hold it by its ears. I really like the idea of rabbit shows and different animal shows but the way they are handling some of these rabbits is just awful

[@kezabel7201]

Yes the handling is very poor and dangerous

[@frloplady]

@@kezabel7201 the handling is correct and safe for the rabbit. They are not being "held by the ear" they are being controlled so they can't flip out and THEN possible hurt themselves.

[@kezabel7201]

@@frloplady it isn’t correct. I’ve been handling rabbits my whole life. You can kill a rabbit by laying it on it’s back

[@reesespieces8125]

@@kezabel7201 that is definitely not true. We flip them over to do a quick teeth, nail and sex check. While it is true that some rabbits can have a fear reaction to this it’s really not likely and I’ve only seen it once with some kid who was unknowledgeable in years of going to shows (and the rabbit did not die it was just scared for a minute). Flipping rabbits is done hundreds to thousands of times at any given show and no rabbit has died from it or we wouldn’t do it. These ARBA rabbit people are absolutely the most knowledgeable people on rabbits and we definitely don’t endanger our animals.

[@frloplady]

@@kezabel7201 obviously since you think that you never have had one on its back. If you are thinking of the hypnotising some do, it is not good for them. However to have a rabbit on it's back to check nails, teeth and sexing them like at a show is not harmful at all. Do you not ever cradle your rabbit in your arms??? Chances are good my life has been longer than yours...

[@animallover751]

Please don't hold rabbits by its ears!!!

[@miskaffon]

None of the people in thus video are lifting by ears. Turning over with a finger in front and behind helps stabilize the rabbit and make it feel secure. Others when posing may run fingers over ears to encourage the taught posing, or other desirable behavior.

[@SilverFlame819]

Nobody in the show world would EVER hold a rabbit by its ears.

[@PhillipE1210]

Oh my god this is sick the way they hold them it’s so cruel and inhumane

[@froggo3682]

How so?

[@abigailrose7164]

As much as these are beautiful animals and there are some rabbit owners that take lovely care of their buns, but this whole thing looks cruel and barbaric

[@cassandra2685]

I agree 10000000 % These people treat their pets like objects ... and these types of shows should be banned. This is darn right cruel selfish and centered just for their own personal gain

[@abigailrose7164]

Elizabeth Murray pretty sure no one goes into these competitions for the animals well-being. They compete for the money. You can tell all these rabbits look terrified, the owners dressing them up and blow drying their hair like they’re little dolls. It IS for their own benefit

[@cassandra2685]

@Abigale love ...Thank you for stressing and highlighting exactly what I was about to say... No animal should be subjected to a show and tell .. they are not objects.. We have a house bunny, he is gorgeous Lionhead breed, he’s part of the family and I would never ever put him under this type of stress. That would be like showing your own kid in a competition. Cringe !!!

[@clowncrack333]

i want to put my rabbits in shows but i also do not want to use them for profit..

[@reesespieces8125]

@@abigailrose7164 I definitely agree that some people don’t care for their animals properly and some others are to rough. But LOL ARBA showing is a hobby that you absolutely don’t make any money from. If anything you lose money.

[@JackSpicer-mi2jj]

Thooorin

[@feliciaboston6365]

Poor bunnies look like they’re in jail

[@froggo3682]

Only for a short time.

[@cccc7534]

so sad, you don’t see people doing these things to their cats so why do them to innocent bunnies?

[@ShainaFrolik]

you do realize there is such things as cat shows too right?

[@SilverFlame819]

LMFAO. You have google at your fingertips. You didn't even TRY to google cat shows before making this stupid comment.

[@klover_leaf]

You've never been to a cat show, huh?

[@cassandra2685]

Had to stop watching this bs of a show treating these poor babies like objects ... these owners are so selfish and should rot in hell

[@miskaffon]

I challenge you to attend a show and watch what happens there, and then come back and attack the show hobby with those words. The animals are NOT seen as "objects"! The idea of that being the rabbit show world might actually humorous if not so completely and utterly false. Maybe you find it too disturbing that the vernacular of "bunny" is pretty heartily the realm of non-show, pets-only mindsets??

[@SoryGamesSoryGames563]

Absolutely horrific to watch

[@froggo3682]

How so? And also, do you even know what you are talking about?

[@bonniejean8750]

wrong i boight my mini rex from a pet store for 24 dollars canadian let me tell you she is more beautiful then all those rabbits there

[@samanthairish8467]

and a breeder created that rabbit and sold it to the pet store so you could buy it

[@ShainaFrolik]

A breeder sold that rabbit to that pet shop. But if you were to "show" that rabbit, theres a good chance it has some major flaws that landed it in a pet shop instead of the show table. For a pet, they may be perfect, but on the show table one small flaw, ill use wrong color toenail for the breed, and its a disqualifcation, doesn't mean it won't make a great pet and many do but show rabbits are a different type.

[@TomikaKelly]

I can guarantee you she is not. Mini rexes are not known for being beautiful they're known for being average. Holland, French, and English Lops, Angoras, and Lionheads are known for being beautiful

[@klover_leaf]

That's a rabbit from a random backyard pet breeder or a cull from a breeding program.

[@silviatrujillano1719]

Breed? Is that important...? Why expose them and manipulate them for human greed and owners ego. Should be banned it is aganist animal rights.

[@killercoyote130]

If I made money off my show rabbits I would be a happy camper and probably quit my job, but unfortunately they cost way more than what I could ever get from them. I participate in the hobby because I absolutely love rabbits. Nothing beats coming home from work and sitting with my art tablet with them while they eat their food and special made grain mix that I make just for them. Or maybe the garden is in season and they’re munching on fresh greens I picked because yes, I’m the crazy rabbit person with a rabbit specific garden. Maybe the greed you’re talking about is me picking up all the extra hours at work so I can attend a show 😂

[@HobbyFarm50]

If rabbit breeding becomes banned, there won’t be any pet rabbits in just 10 years.

[@yourlittlehighnesscarms3656]

If me breeding my show dogs, show rabbits and show cavys gave me money and I didnt care I would be in the Bahamas sipping on the worlds most expensive bottle of wine.

[@zanemeyer954]

The only reason you house rabbit people have pet rabbits is because of breeding. Just remember that.

[@chinbunny1]

You are an idiot