Urban farm cancels rabbit butchering demo

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PITTSBURGH, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- An urban farm in Pittsburgh said a rabbit butchering demonstration has been canceled following an outcry from animal rights supporters.

Cornelius Frantz-Deppe, a Garfield urban farmer who raises rabbits for meat, said he canceled plans to demonstrate rabbit butchering at the Knotweed Urban Farm in Pittsburgh and he won't be publicly demonstrating rabbit butchering anytime soon, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Thursday.

Lana Lehr, managing director of the rabbit advocacy group RabbitWise, said her group opposed the demonstration due to rabbits being popular pets.

"Rabbits know their names, they come when they're called, they're litter-box trained -- mine run around the house," said Lehr, who led the protest on Knotweed's Facebook page. "They are delightful and joyful creatures and I hate to see them treated so badly."