In Internet slang, a troll (/ˈtroʊl/, /ˈtrɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory,^[1] extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response^[2] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion,^[3] often for their own amusement.

Internet trolls are real and this morning one tried to damage the reputation of my business while undermining the popularity of a beloved family tradition. We celebrate spring with baby bunnies and children. We capture the event with pictures, timeless treasures of youthful innocence, fine-art portraits to hang as gallery wrapped canvas or digital imagery to share on Facebook. Our baby bunny sessions are loved by all.

Our bunny sessions are loved by everyone except Michael Thomas Ireland. Michael thinks that baby bunny rabbits are dangerous and filled with disease.

He posts to Facebook, “More reason. Children don’t know how to handle live animals. Don’t traumatize your child by allowing them to unknowingly hurt these animals. Need a better reason? Your children are at risk. Rabbits carry disease. Their bites can be very dangerous for ANYONE buy especially more for children with weaker immune systems. This (or any other) photographer should know better. If she thinks this is fine you should run away, run far away and hire a REPUTABLE photographer who values the safety of your children and the animals.”

Baby bunny = Trauma??? What?? Bunnies are dangerous and filled with disease? He is questioning MY business reputability? Clearly he missed out on the introduction of my proprietary leadership. It is unfortunate that he makes claims to knowing federal law without providing proof or any fact for that matter. He made one true statement. Rabbits sometimes bite. I will take that one step further. We live in a litigious society. Rabbits are a lawsuit waiting to happen with a PETA protest as the cherry.

This message is in regards to my reputation and your informed consent. It appears that I am going to need to have my attorney draft up a waiver so that our clients can continue to enjoy tradition that was innocent before. A Smile Like Yours Photography has been enjoying the delight of baby bunnies in the studio for five years now and in all that time there has never been more than a bunny nibble or a scratch. FACT: Rabbits have sharp nails. They need to be trimmed before a photo shoot. Baby bunny rabbits have nails that are itty bitty and much softer than full grown rabbits.

I do not know Michael Thomas Ireland or the trauma that he experienced to make him so passionate about this issue. I will tell you what I know to be true about my life and my rabbits and my award winning business of thirteen years.

 

While I appreciate that his goal was to warn the unsuspecting public of a bunny rabbit pandemic tinged with the horror of animal cruelty and neglect I should warn you, he’s talking out of the ass of not knowing. He had no idea what he’s talking about or who he’s dealing with.

Our family now has three bunny rabbits. Simba and Cinnamon were adopted from Lattin’s cider mill last year. Cinnamon was a baby and Simba was a year older. My boyfriend’s eleven year old son Kai adopted both rabbits after that year’s photoshoot. Both rabbits are girls because we don’t want to have babies. Neither rabbit is spade. Simba will need to be because she has grown to be a very mean rabbit. She bites and she snarls and she attacks. We do not handle her or bother her much because she has made it clear that she would prefer not to be bothered.

Cinnamon is a completely different rabbit. She is sweet and gentle. Kai plays with her all the time. He sleeps with her in his room and she hops around his bedroom while he plays with his Halo guys. Cinnamon is a child’s pet. She was also the star of this year’s baby bunny photo shoot. She was joined with our newest family member: baby bunny Ragnar.

Ragnar is a baby lop bunny (9 weeks old) that we named after the famous Viking king. He is precocious and fun. He is currently zooming across my living room floor leaving little rabbit poop balls behind him. Ragnar is the cutest bunny rabbit in the entire world and I really, really, really, really want to keep him. He’s promised to a family that can’t wait to adopt him. Except, I love him so much that I want to go buy them a different bunny rabbit so I can keep mine…. I love him.

Great business owners take the best care of their clients because they love what they do and they are grateful for the opportunity to serve the community with either a product or a service that people value. Many people LOVE animals. We love animals. We will eventually live on acreage so that I can have ducks and chickens and pigs and goats and…. #countrygirl #wideopenspaces.

1. Your loving care and safety are imperative factors in every choice that I make as a professional. Our clients sign contracts and agreements for their protection and ours. #informedconsent
2. Rabbits are not props. They are souls with feeling. Rabbits love selfies too. Please understand that we love our bunnies like you love your children. We are responsible for them in the same loving way. Children are unpredictable. Children are sometimes dangerous. Sometimes children bite other children while playing in the sand box. Let this be a warning to all parents. Living life can be dangerous. We can not promise that a bite will not happen just like you can’t promise that your kid will avoid falling down and scraping their knees.
3. We are all responsible for the successful outcome of each photo shoot. Each bunny session is spaced out (30 minutes) to ensure that the rabbits are not over stimulated. We work with two bunnies during each session to ensure that they are handled minimally and without duress.
4. If you have questions in regards to the law or you believe you have a case for protest please send me an email: ambergbay@gmail.com. I will forward your information to my attorney for follow up.
5. WASH YOUR HANDS!!!!!!!! You may remember reading headlines of children falling sick after visiting petting zoos…. It is important to remember and have your children wash their hands after your baby bunny session. We will also provide hand sanitizer at the studio.