• Whole Foods is Now Selling Rabbit Meat
• Which Stores Should I Contact?
• Talking Points
• What Can You Do To Help?
  • Online: Sign and Share the Petition
  • Online: Tweet
  • Online: Post on Facebook
  • Online: Email Whole Foods
  • Phone: Call Whole Foods
  • In person: Fill out a comment card in the store
  • In person: Talk to Team Leader or meat counter person at Whole Foods
  • In person: Outreach to the public by posting fliers
  • In person: Outreach to other customers by tabling
  • In person: Participate in our in-person demo (date/time TBD)
• Frequently Asked Questions and their Answers
  • Doesn’t Whole Foods raise rabbits in a humane, organic, and sustainable way?
  • Aren’t the rabbits sold at Whole Foods wild rabbits?
  • Aren’t the rabbits sold at Whole Foods bred to be eaten?
  • Are you advocating a vegetarian or vegan diet?
  • Isn’t Whole Foods just responding to customer demand?
  • So what if Whole Foods sells rabbit, it’s just one chain?
• Northern California Whole Foods Contact Information

Whole Foods is Now Selling Rabbit Meat

Whole Foods in Northern California has recently decided to start selling rabbit meat citing a demand. They are selling the meat of juvenile New Zealand rabbits, exactly the same type of rabbits as many of our friends here at SaveABunny, like Harry (pictured), Rama, Lacey and Lemondrop, and Ping and Pong. In addition, we have heard that Whole Foods in the Mid-Atlantic region will start selling rabbit flesh in the summer.

Which Stores Should I Contact?

We have contacted Northern California Whole Foods stores inquiring about rabbit meat. All of them have started selling rabbit meat. See the table of Northern California Whole Foods Contact Information below.

For those concerned with Whole Foods outside of Northern California, we advise you to call your local store and inquire, and also to tell them your thoughts about the issue in advance.

Talking Points

When you contact Whole Foods, let them know that you were a Whole Foods customer. This is more effective than identifying yourself as an activist or a rescuer (even if that’s what you are, which is awesome!)

• This is upsetting to me and I won’t shop at Whole Foods any longer. Whole Foods shoppers have plenty of options already. Seeing rabbit meat at Whole Foods is traumatizing to me as a (rabbit guardian, bunny supporter, bunny friend). (Feel free to say a few words about your rabbit family member or rabbit friends. If this is written, feel free to include a photo or a drawing.)
• The rabbit meat you are selling is a pet bunny breed.
• “Organic”, “sustainable” and “humane” are NOT cruelty-free. These rabbits are taken from their families and killed when they reach “market weight.” They are babies or adolescents at most.

What Can You Do To Help?

The following activities are for individuals. If you are part of a business or organization and your business could be a signatory on our letter to Whole Foods, please let us know!

Online: Sign and Share the Petition

This only takes a few seconds! The petition is here: http://www.change.org/petitions/wholefoods-please-do-not-sell-rabbit-meat-in-your-stores

Online: Tweet

If you have a twitter account, you can tweet @WholeFoodsNorCA @WholeFoods and @WholeFoodsPR.

• Twitter accounts to follow, favorite and retweet: @FidelRabbit
• Twitter hashtags to include: #stopsellingrabbitmeat
• Example tweets:
  

Online: Post on Facebook

Please post on the facebook page of Whole Foods Mill Valley(this one is local to SaveABunny) as well as your local Whole Foods facebook page (See the table of Northern California Whole Foods Contact Information below.)

On the left column of the Whole Foods facebook pages, there is a section called “Reviews. At the bottom of this section, click on the button titled “Write Review” and write a 1-star review of the store, explaining that it is wrong for Whole Foods to sell rabbits. Feel free to include an image of a rabbit you know. See the image at right; click on the image to see a large one.

Online: Email Whole Foods

Email the following:

• Northern California Regional Meat Coordinator, Dan Neuerburg at: dan.neuerburg@wholefoods.com
• Your local Whole Foods using this contact form: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/customer-service

If possible, include a photo of your rabbit or a rabbit friend of yours or a SaveABunny rabbit like Harry (pictured)

Phone: Call Whole Foods

Contacts to call:

• (510) 428-7400 – Dan Neuerburg, Meat Coordinator at the Emeryville Regional Office. To get to Dan Neuerburg, you need to type his last name and first name into your phone; Neuerburg=638372874 Dan=326
• (510) 428-7448 – Jim Olson, Lead Buyer

Example: I have learned that you are selling rabbit meat and I’m really upset about this. I adopted a rabbit from the Marin Humane Society and I have two rabbits in my family. I know you claim that these rabbits are “humanely raised,” but these meat rabbits are the same kind of rabbits that live in my home, and I am very upset that Whole Foods is killing them for food.

In person: Fill out a comment card in the store

Whole Foods stores has comment cards around their stores, or you can ask for them. See right for an example of a blank comment card, as well as one that is filled in.

In person: Talk to Team Leader or meat counter person at Whole Foods

Talking directly to Whole Foods employees can also make an impact. You can visit your local store’s meat counter and talk directly with the people who are selling rabbit meat. Education appears to be a key element: some rabbit supporters have called or visited stores to express their outrage regarding the sale of rabbit meat, and the clerks are often not aware that rabbits are the 3rd most popular companion animal in the US, and they are essentially selling us pet meat. The more people we can teach that rabbits are friends, not food, the better!

In person: Outreach to the public by posting fliers

Click on the following flier image to download a printable PDF. You could post these at nearby businesses that are willing to have them displayed in the store. Additionally, you could hand them to customers entering Whole Foods.

In person: Outreach to other customers by tabling

Some rabbit supporters are tabling outside of Whole Foods to raise awareness of this issue. Bring friends and information about rabbit companions.

Lisa R. has done this already, and writes about her experience:
I had a very successful 3 hours outside of the WF store that I frequent 4 times a week for my job. I am well known at this store so I was a bit nervous with the idea of creating waves. To feel more confident, I brought a friend with me and had some handouts ready to go, including aprinted version of the petition.

I got lots of signatures even some from the employees! I brought 3 bunnies. I introduced people to my bunnies and asked them if they wanted to pet them, then I explained why I was out there. I also made a couple posters with photos of my bunnies on my bed, the couch, lying next to a cat or dog etc. so people could see that they live just like cats and dogs! I brought a small table with 2 posters/signs, my flier handouts (which very few people took) and some clipboards with my petition.

I think the key to a successful outreach/petitioning is to remain positive, realistic (not everyone is compassionate to bunnies) and focus on the pet aspect and people will make the connection! If you would rather not have people sign a petition you could suggest that they fill out a comment card or speak with staff. Remember if you bring your buns to keep them cool and safe and hold them properly.

Lisa and Natasha will be doing outreach again at the Campbell Whole Foods on Sunday June 29th from 10am to 2pm. Email Lisa to join!

In person: Participate in our in-person demo (date/time TBD)

We will be presenting Whole Foods with an official letter from organizations and businesses that disagree with Whole Foods decision to sell rabbit meat. We will be going to a SF Bay Area Whole Foods and presenting our letter, and then doing outreach as a group. Contact us to be involved.

Frequently Asked Questions and their Answers

Doesn’t Whole Foods raise rabbits in a humane, organic, and sustainable way?

Humane, organic, and sustainable is not the same thing as cruelty free. The quality of the rabbits’ diets and the fact they aren’t given hormones or antibiotics does not mean the rabbits are stress-free or happy. The rabbits sold at Whole Foods are babies, weighing only 2.5 to 3 pounds, taken from their families. Rabbits are social so their forced removal from their families is a traumatizing and stressful event. Broken social bonds and slaughter at a young age is not a natural bunny life.

Aren’t the rabbits sold at Whole Foods wild rabbits?

No. The rabbits Whole Foods sells as meat are a domesticated breed of rabbits, not wild rabbits. Wild rabbits and domesticated rabbits are so different that they cannot interbreed. The rabbits Whole Foods sells as meat are “New Zealand” rabbits – a specific breed of rabbit just like a German Shepard is a specific breed of dog. New Zealand rabbits are popular as pets in the United States because of their intelligence and sweet disposition – they are considered the Golden Retriever of the rabbit world.

Aren’t the rabbits sold at Whole Foods bred to be eaten?

The fact that Whole Foods has decided to sell domesticated rabbits as meat doesn’t change the nature of the rabbit. New Zealand rabbits are domestic rabbits that can live 10 or more years. They are docile and social. There is no difference between a “meat” rabbit and a pet rabbit; one just happened to be unlucky enough to be born on a meat farm. The decision to kill some animals for meat and not others is an arbitrary one for which there is not a good answer.

Are you advocating a vegetarian or vegan diet?

SaveABunny’s official mission is to save companion rabbits from abuse, neglect, abandonment, euthanasia, and slaughter and to educate the public about the rewarding experience of living with a rabbit as an indoor companion. SaveABunny opposes the use of rabbits for fur or meat.

SaveABunny also opposes animal cruelty, abuse and exploitation of any kind for any animal. We do not require our members and supporters to be vegetarian or vegan; all are welcome. The organization supports a plant-based, cruelty-free lifestyle and encourages people to open their hearts to all animals.

Isn’t Whole Foods just responding to customer demand?

No. Rabbit meat is not routinely consumed in the United States even though rabbits, horses, cats, and dogs are consumed in other parts of the world. Rabbits are the third most popular household pet in the United States. While there may be a marginal demand for rabbit meat there is a far greater demand for rabbits as pets and companions.

So what if Whole Foods sells rabbit, it’s just one chain?

Whole Foods is a very successful grocery store chain. Selling rabbit in Northern California stores is a pilot program that Whole Foods intends to expand into other regions. It is likely that other grocery stores will seek to copy the Whole Foods model and sell rabbit. These other stores will likely seek out less expensive sources with even lower standards.

Northern California Whole Foods Contact Information

Store	Store Address	Phone	Sells Rabbit Meat	Facebook	Store Manager Email (all of these are @wholefoods.com)	Comments
Berkeley	3000 Telegraph Ave Berkeley, CA 94705	510.649.1333	Yes		Melody.Mestemacher	“We have, like, the whole entire rabbit.”
Campbell	1690 South Bascom Ave Campbell, CA 95008	408.371.5000	Yes		Mark.Barbieri	Laughter. Lots of infuriating laughter.
Capitola	1710 41st Ave Capitola, CA 95010	931.464.2900	Yes		Mike.McCallum	“I don’t have a good answer for you.” “There is a demand for it.” “Whole Foods used to have live lobsters in all its stores but we stopped doing that except in our Maine stores.”
Cupertino	20955 Stevens Creek Blvd Cupertino, CA 95014	408.257.7000	Yes		Scott.Sherman	“They [rabbits] are about 2-3 pounds. They’re really small.”
Davis	500 First Street Davis, CA 95616	530.750.2266	Yes
Folsom	270 Palladio Parkway Folsom, CA 95630	916.984.8500	Yes		Steven.Smith
Fremont	3111 Mowry Ave Fremont, CA 94538	510.401.5880	Yes		Pedro.Fonseca
Fresno	650 W. Shaw Ave Fresno, CA 93704	559.241.0300	Yes
Lafayette	3502 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Lafayette, CA 94549	925.284.5305	Yes		Gary.Ramirez	“We have the whole rabbit. It’s shrink-wrapped and all ready to go.”
Los Altos	4800 El Camino Real Los Altos, CA 94022	650.559.0300	Yes		Eric.Story
Los Gatos	15980 Los Gatos Blvd Los Gatos, CA 95032	408.358.4434	Yes		Deborah.Fernandez	“They’re [rabbits] about two pounds, three quarters.”
Mill Valley	414 Miller Ave Mill Valley, CA 94941	415.381.1200	Yes		Chris.Ross	“It [rabbit meat] is humane and sustainable.”
Mill Valley – Blithedale	731 East Blithedale Mill Valley, CA 94941	415.381.3900	Yes		Dori.Beron
Monterey	800 Del Monte Center Monterey, CA 93940	831.333.1600	Yes		Kelli.Takikawa
Napa	3682 Bel Aire Plaza Napa, CA 94558	707.224.6300	Yes		Shawn.Marshall	“Yeah, we have one left.”
Novato	790 De Long Avenue Novato, CA 94945-7005	415.878.0455	Yes		Martha.Harmon	“We don’t sell rabbit meat. We have the whole young rabbit.”
Oakland	230 Bay Place Oakland, CA 94612	510.834.9800	Yes		Earl.Brizee	“Rabbit meat? We have whole rabbits.”
Palo Alto	774 Emerson Street Palo Alto, CA 94301	650.326.8676	Yes		Mike.Folan	“Yeah, it’s the whole rabbit with the head.”
Petaluma	621 E. Washington St Petaluma, CA 94952	707.762.9352	Yes
Redwood City	1250 Jefferson Ave Redwood City, CA 94062	650.367.1400	Yes		Jason.Alarid	“It’s a whole rabbit though.”
Roseville	1001 Galleria Blvd Roseville, CA 95678	916.781.5300	Yes		Marty.Jenkins
Sacramento	4315 Arden Way, Sacramento, CA 95864	916.488.2800	Yes		Steve.Papegaay
San Francisco – Franklin	1765 California St, San Francisco, CA 94109	415.674.0500	Yes		Anie.Summerland	“As long as we can get it.” Meat Department Team Leader
San Francisco – Haight	690 Stanyan Street San Francisco, CA 94117	415.876.6740	Yes		Jen.Monaco	“We’ll see how it does.”
San Francisco – Market	2001 Market Street San Francisco, CA 94114	415.626.1430	Yes		Paula.Richmond
San Francisco – Noe Valley	3950 24th Street San Francisco, CA 94114	415.282.4700	Yes			“Only the whole rabbit . . . I’m not sure how the cuts on that work.”
San Francisco – Ocean	1150 Ocean Ave San Francisco, CA 94112	415.333.7400	Yes		Omar.Ruiz	“We have one left.”
San Francisco – Potrero Hill	450 Rhode Island St San Francisco, CA 94107	415.552.1155	Yes		Jeremiah.Newman	“Plenty. $10.99 a pound.”
San Francisco – SoMa	399 4th Street San Francisco, CA 94107	415.618.0066	Yes			“Yeah, the whole rabbit.”
San Jose – Blossom Hill	1146 Blossom Hill Rd San Jose, CA 95118	408.266.3700	Yes		Brett.Kassell
San Mateo	1010 Park Place San Mateo, CA 94403	650.358.6900	Yes		Anthony.Celio	“We’re required by regional standards to sell it.”
San Rafael	340 Third St San Rafael, CA 94901	415.451.6333	Yes		Clarke.Pomeroy
San Ramon	100 Sunset Drive San Ramon, CA 94583	925.355.9000	Yes		Allen.Culp	“In the past there wasn’t a farm that met our standards.”
Santa Cruz	911 Soquel Ave Santa Cruz, CA 95062	831.426.9901	Yes		Seth.Wyland
Santa Rosa	1181 Yulupa Ave Santa Rosa, CA 95405	707.575.7915	Yes		Chris.Farrar
Santa Rosa – Coddingtown	390 Coddingtown Mall Santa Rosa, CA 95401	707.542.7411	Yes		Wes.Walston	“I used to have a rabbit so when I saw that it was weird because, like, that’s a pet.” JC (Whole Foods Meat Department)
Sebastopol	6910 McKinley St Sebastopol, CA 95472	707.829.9801	Yes			“It’s $10.99 a pound.”
Sonoma	Sonoma Marketplace 201 W. Napa St. Sonoma, CA 95476	707.938.8500	Yes			“I own two rabbits. So I understand. That’s not something we would ever put out on our shelves.” Joe (Whole Foods Butcher)
Walnut Creek	1333 Newell Ave Walnut Creek, CA 94596	925.274.9700	Yes		Arnoldo.Elisea