Whole Foods’ Decision to Sell Rabbit Meat Met with Backlash

Whole Foods Market made the decision to begin selling rabbit meat at select stores across the nation. The news upset many, prompting them to protest the grocery chain in defense of their furry woodland friends. Among them were several rabbit advocacy groups including The House Rabbit Society. The society urged Whole Foods guests to tell as many people as they can about the rabbit meat, an animal that’s considered more a pet than meal.

HuffPo reports that a Whole Foods spokesman reached out to them acknowledging that Whole Foods is “sensitive to the companion animal issue” and that the company’s decision to carry the meat was a result of frequent customer requests to do so. Whole Foods stated in a release that the rabbits they sell must meet the requirement of having “continuous access to drinking water, feed, roughage and knowing blocks.”

Whole Foods Market is currently only selling rabbit meat at select locations in the mid-Atlantic, Midwest, north Atlantic, Northeast, South and Pacific Northwest and Southern California.