A restaurant launched a menu selling rabbit as their new delicacy has to face the wrath of the angry netizens.
Although it is not against the law but in Singapore context, a rabbit is considered more as a pet than a staple diet. It is a common delicacy in parts of China.
The restaurants featured a dish of diced rabbit in chilli oil. But Singapore netizens are not taking it well.
While some netizens said that people are overreacting and said the following
“I love chickens and I see people eating them everyday, what’s so special about a rabbit. Can an animals life can be valued on how it looks?”
While others were against it and a petition was set up online
Petition message by Bunny Wonderland
SAY “NO” TO RABBIT HOTPOT!
“We are happy to annouce that we are the first and only one to release rabbit hot pot in Singapore.” –Â Tong Xin Ru Yi Traditional Hotpot
NO! Rabbit owners are NOT happy about this! Did you not know that after dogs and cats, rabbits are the 3rd MOST common household pets in Singapore? In fact, there are millions of companion rabbits all around the world being treasured by their owners as families. We do NOT want to eat our family!
On behalf of the rabbit owners in Singapore, Bunny Wonderland and House Rabbit Society Singapore (HRSS) will like to request for Tong Xin Ru Yi Traditional Hotpot to remove this item from their menu. Both organizations have been tirelesly rescuing abandoned rabbits in Singapore and working with rabbit lovers to improve their welfare. For this restaurant to encourage the consumption of our pets, it’s totally against all that we have worked hard to achieve. If this dish is allow, does that means there will be cat stews and dog barbeque soon? This cannot happen!
We truly hope that the public can make an informed decision about supporting such businesses. Singapore do not farmed rabbits for food and instead, we import them into our country as domesticated pets. As pets, they should be viewed in the same light as other companion animals and given the same respect as a cat and dog would. So please do not support business that undermine our pets as food items!
Through this petition, we hope that Tong Xin Ru Yi Traditional Hotpot can realized that rabbit owners in Singapore are ANGRY with the slaughter of our beloved pets as food. While we understand rabbit is an approved consumable meat, we are not ready to eat our pets, our best friends, our family. Please remove this unwelcomed dish from the menu and do not encourage the consumption of our pets in any shape or form in the future!