09/26/2026
“It’s just a rabbit” by Olivia Myers
I have to say something about this auction because some of the comments I’ve seen are absolutely ridiculous.
One of the top Netherland Dwarf breeders is selling out, and some of the genetics being offered are incredible. These aren’t just random rabbits being put up for sale. These are animals that represent years and years of selective breeding, planning, research, money, time, heartbreak, successes, failures, and dedication to producing the very best animals possible.
And then I see comments like, “It’s just a rabbit.”
No. To you, maybe it is.
But to a serious breeder who has spent years developing a national-level line, it is so much more than “just a rabbit.”
Let’s put this into perspective. Nobody bats an eye when a top-quality horse, cow, pig, or sheep sells for a substantial amount of money because people understand that genetics, pedigree, quality, performance, and years of breeding work have value. Nobody looks at a nationally competitive racehorse and says, “It’s just a horse.” Nobody looks at a superior show cow and says, “It’s just a cow.”
So why is it somehow ridiculous when someone places significant value on a rabbit with exceptional genetics and a proven background?
The species may be different, but the work behind producing quality is not.
Getting to the point where an animal can compete and win at a national level doesn't happen by accident. It doesn't happen because someone happened to put two rabbits together and got lucky. It takes years of studying pedigrees, understanding genetics, making breeding decisions, raising litters, evaluating babies, keeping records, culling when necessary, keeping replacements, traveling to shows, paying entry fees, feeding and caring for animals, investing in housing and equipment, and constantly trying to improve the next generation.
And let’s talk about the money.
Showing and breeding at a high level is not cheap. There are feed bills, veterinary expenses, housing, supplies, registration and pedigree costs, travel, hotels, entry fees, transportation, and countless other expenses that people who aren't involved in the hobby simply don't see. There is an enormous investment behind a truly exceptional animal.
Then there is the emotional investment.
Breeders spend years working toward a goal. They celebrate the wins, lose sleep over sick animals, make difficult breeding decisions, raise babies that don't turn out, and sometimes lose animals they have poured everything into. They start over, try again, and keep going. When a rabbit finally stands on the table and wins at a national level, that moment represents far more than the rabbit standing there that day.
It represents generations of work.
So when someone sees a rabbit from an established, proven, nationally successful line and immediately dismisses it with “it's just a rabbit,” it really shows how little they understand about what goes into producing that animal.
And honestly, I have to wonder: do some people genuinely not understand the process, or does seeing someone else's success make them uncomfortable because they know they couldn't simply go out and reproduce that quality overnight?
Because here's the reality: you can't buy years of knowledge and experience. You can't buy a proven program overnight. You can't shortcut generations of selective breeding.
You can purchase an animal, but what you are really purchasing is the opportunity to build upon the work that someone else has spent years creating.
My biggest hope with animals from a sale like this is that whoever gets them understands what they have and continues to protect, preserve, and improve the quality that went into creating these lines.
Because these aren't “just rabbits.”
They are the result of blood, sweat, tears, thousands of dollars, countless hours, years of breeding decisions, and an unbelievable amount of dedication.
You don't have to understand the hobby.
You don't have to want to spend that kind of money.
But you should at least respect the work behind it before dismissing it as “just a rabbit.”
To the breeder, to the exhibitors, and to those of us who understand what it takes to produce a nationally competitive animal—we know exactly what we're looking at.
