Retailing giant Amazon under fire over rabbit picture
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Amazon has been criticised by a leading welfare organisation in the UK for choosing a picture of a single rabbit to promote the pet side of its business.
A two-year-old female Mini Lop rabbit from Worcester called Effie has been crowned the 'Face of Amazon Pets' following a nationwide hunt to find official models for the company's pets store.
But Rae Todd, of the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund, said the company had missed an opportunity to promote responsible pet care.
“Effie is absolutely adorable and I am sure much loved by her owners,” said Rae. “It is great to see rabbits being included in the competition and being chosen above the usually more popular dogs and cats.
“It does seem like an opportunity lost however, not just for welfare, but for the retailer themselves, that the face of Amazon Pets is a single rabbit and not a pair. Companionship is vital to rabbits' health and welfare and it is important to keep that message going by showing rabbits in pairs or groups. It's particularly timely as we have just finished Rabbit Awareness Week (RAW), where the theme was #buddiesforbunnies.
“All RAW Partners have been promoting the importance of companionship for rabbits, because solitary rabbits suffer terribly. I am sure that Amazon would want to promote the best welfare possible to their customers.
“As always, good welfare is good business as two rabbits eat more hay and nuggets, need more bedding, use more toys etc, so they could have used this to the advantage of their sellers.”
The company’s competition to find the ‘Face of Amazon Pets’ drew in animal owners across the country, posting over 28,000 photos of their pets online.
Seven finalists – Effie the rabbit, Bob the dog, Scrappy the cat, Harry the pony, Sammy the bird, Rango the reptile and Arin the fish – were then voted for by customers.
They were then invited to a London studio where they were photographed and filmed for a 'Petwalk', modelling pet products available at the online retailer.
Amazon Pet Store manager Melis Del Rey said: “We’re delighted to add Effie and the other six finalists to the list of gorgeous pets set for internet stardom and want to thank all of the many entrants for taking part in our competition.”
But Rae Todd added: “As you know, rabbits are not as easy to care for properly as people often imagine. I note that one of the judges is actually the category leader for pets so it seems a bit mystifying that they would not only be out of date with welfare advice, but also miss a commercial opportunity!”
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