3 Bunnies Rabbit Rescue - Bunnies in the News

On this page we list some of the cases in the news about rabbits and in many cases, some of the cruel treatment they endure at the hands of people. We present this information in the hopes of educating people as to the plight domestic rabbits face, and also to hopefully help people understand why we rescue such animals whenever possible.

Pet-Abuse.com Latest News

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Special Mention
Bunny Saves Life and then Bunny Gets Rewarded.
Bunnies... is there anything they can't do?
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Special Mention
Another Bunny Saves Life
Just in case anyone thought the first story was a fluke.
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Special Mention
Pet Rabbit A Hero - Wakes Family From Burning House
Still think it's just a fluke?
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Special Mention
Bunny's will to live stuns rescuers
Rescuers pray for a miracle for a baby bunny named Peapod, and they're prayers are granted.
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Special Mention
Pet rabbit alerts family to house fire
Yes again a bunny demonstrates its intelligence and love for its family!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ August 16, 2006: 'Bunnies at risk’ warning from vet - A RUTHLESS bunny killer is on the loose in Times Territory - and we're not talking about Bugs-bashing bounty hunter Yosemite Sam. A top vet has issued a warning to rabbit owners that there has been an outbreak of the fatal disease myxomatosis. Brian Turner, principal veterinary surgeon at The Veterinary Centre, in Peartree Lane, WGC, reported seeing a wild rabbit suffering from the illness in his garden. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ August 10, 2006: Firefighters, Pet Lovers Rescue Furry Friends - Several animals died in a raging, three alarm blaze that ripped through a Jamaica Avenue pet shop on Sunday night, but hundreds more were spared by firefighters and pet lovers who rushed to the Woodhaven scene. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ August 10, 2006: Nature’s Earth Hops on Board to Save Bunnies - Nature’s Earth Products Inc. is donating 100 40-pound bags of All-Pet Bedding to the Great Bunny Rescue of 2006. The society has fledged a nationwide campaign to find homes for more than 1,600 bunnies that were rescued from one woman’s one-acre backyard in Reno. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ August 9, 2006: Tires slashed, rabbitts killed in Camp Verde - CAMP VERDE, Ariz. Four teenagers have been arrested after a series of vandalism and acts of animal cruelty in Camp Verde. The Camp Verde Marshal's Office says it began receiving calls last Thursday of people finding the tires on their vehicles slashed, and of people finding dead, often gutted rabbits in or on those cars or mailboxes, or on their porches and yards. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ August 8, 2006: Rabbit rescue ends some bad hare days - WASHOE COUNTY, Nev. - There are bunnies in the bedrooms and hares in the hallway. Bucks burrowing and does dozing. Cages and cages of cottontails nibbling their rabbit chow in clean, controlled contentment. And that's just inside this house rented by the Best Friends Animal Society. Outside, more than 100 newly built rabbit runs house close to 1,700 bounding bunnies rescued from a Reno woman whose obsession with her pets led to hoarding and eventually to a call for help. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ August 8, 2006: Easter bunnies need homes - OAKLAND - Soft fur, a cute nose, loving eyes, long ears and a sweet temperament just don't cut it any more. It's three months after Easter and rabbits are starting to flood local animal shelters. The Oakland Animal Shelter has it particularly bad this year, with its normal number of about 10 rabbits being doubled in the last few weeks. The shelter says the scenario plays out like this: The Easter spirit is in the air. A family buys a cute little bunny, perhaps named Hoppy, who seems like the perfect addition to the family. Fast forward to the summer when Hoppy is 10 pounds heavier and three times bigger. The warm holiday afterglow is gone. The kids lose interest in Hoppy, don't want to clean the cage, or pay attention to her. By then there may be 10 Hoppy Jrs. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ August 7, 2006: Bunnies with no ears need cash for carrots - AN ANIMAL-lover last night appealed for a sponsor to help her care for two bunnies who have no ears. Volunteer Toyah Marshall believes scissors or a sharp blade were used to lop off the rabbits' lobes. Sisters Phoebe and Monica, named after the characters in hit sitcom Friends, are now being cared for at a Mold animal shelter. The pair also have dental problems and rescue staff believe they will struggle to find the pets a good home. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ August 3, 2006: Rabbit Rescue desperately seeking foster homes - A shelter to provide refuge for unwanted rabbits recently opened in Pierrefonds, but without temporary foster homes or monetary donations to cover spay and neuter costs, Quebec Rabbit Rescue won’t be able to take in any more of the floppy-eared mammals. The rabbit is the third-most popular household pet and one of the most misunderstood, said Kathleen Logan, director of Quebec Rabbit Rescue. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ August 2, 2006: Measure Approved To Lower Rabbit Population - LOS ANGELES - Multiplication just got harder for rabbits adopted from Los Angeles animal shelters. The City Council signed off Wednesday on a plan to nearly triple adoption fees for the cuddly creatures to ensure they are sterilized when they leave city shelters. Under the plan, the $15 rabbit adoption fee will jump to $40 at the city’s six animal shelters to coincide with rates charged by local nonprofit animal rescue agencies. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ August 2, 2006: Your views: Rabbit didn’t get an injured animal call - This is an open letter to the Coulee Region Humane Society and the person in the white car that was speeding through Rockland one recent Tuesday morning. To the person in the white car: You hit a rabbit. You broke both its back legs. You never slowed down. To the humane society. I am sickened that you would not help me. I called and told you of the situation. You called me back to inform me that quote "We do not go out that far for sick or injured animals." I would need to put the animal in a box and bring it in and if it was before you were open I was to leave it on the front step. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ August 1, 2006: Neglected Rabbits, Hens Seized From Cranston Home - More than 20 neglected rabbits and a half-dozen hens were seized by animal rescue from a Cranston home. According to police, the animals were living inside an extremely hot shed in maggot-infested wire cages with no ventilation. Police said the animals were fed moldy bread and didn't see any water in the living area. "These rabbits were in maggot-infested, fly-infested, rat-infested, garage that easily could have been 100 degrees," said Pamela Hood of Sweet Binks Rabbit Rescue. "I don't think most of them would have made it through the weekend." Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ August 1, 2006: Roommate decides pet should be dinner - Lawrence police are investigating the killing of Melvin, a lop-eared rabbit. A woman reported she arrived Wednesday at her home in the 1200 block of West 21st Street. There she found that her roommate, a 22-year-old man, and a 24-year-old friend had placed the home’s pet lop-eared rabbit, Melvin, in a plastic bag in an attempt to kill the animal. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 29, 2006: Hop at this chance to get a pet rabbit - OAKLAND - Soft fur, a cute nose, loving eyes, long ears and a sweet temperament just don't cut it any more. It's three months after Easter and rabbits are starting to flood local animal shelters. The Oakland Animal Shelter has it particularly bad this year, with their normal number of about 10 rabbits doubling in the last few weeks. The shelter says the scenario plays out like this: The Easter spirit is in the air. A family buys a cute little bunny, perhaps named Hoppy, who seems like the perfect addition to the family. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 28, 2006: 'Cost to RSPCA is astronomical’ - A WOMAN whose trial cost the RSPCA at least £10,000 after her 18 neglected rabbits were taken into care has been fined £50 and has been allowed to keep her remaining pets. Jacqueline Elizabeth Miles, 57, of Sunnybank, Marlow, admitted 23 charges of causing unnecessary suffering to the rare angora rabbits in March this year. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 28, 2006: Vets' anger over rabbits dumped at picnic site - VETS condemned the cruel owners of two rabbits dumped and left to die in Hertford this week. Emma Garrood and Gemma Trundell, from the Chestnut Veterinary Centre in Hertford, spent an hour trying to catch the pets in a picnic area close to the A414 Hertingfordbury Road in the west of the town. They rescued one but the other evaded them. As it is white and domesticated, they fear it will be easy prey for a fox. Emma, an animal nursing assistant at the Fore Street practice, said it was clear the animals had been abandoned. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 28, 2006: Make space for bun-buns - If you are a regular reader of "Critter Corner," you may remember the column around Easter, in which I strongly discouraged the impulse buying of a pet rabbit. But what if you've now given it some serious thought, and decided that you are indeed ready to share your home with a bunny? Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 26, 2006: Ada County neighborhood battles bunny problem - BOISE - Residents in the Eagle Springs Estates neighborhood of Ada County have a rapidly multiplying problem on their hands - bunnies. Residents say the rabbits are overtaking the neighborhood. Monique Hale often goes on walks around the neighborhood. She sees at least one every day in her yard, and she's counted up to 56 bunnies during her daily walk. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 17, 2006: Pet rabbit victim of horror attack - A THUG hacked the ears off a pet rabbit using a pair of scissors after breaking into a hutch in the back garden of a house. And another rabbit was stolen during a second raid on the hutch in French Grove, Darcy Lever. Now owner Debra Wrigley is warning other animal owners in the area to be on their guard. Miss Wrigley, aged 20, said: "I want people to know that there is a sick person out there doing terrible things to rabbits." Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 13, 2006: Pets Need Extra Attention During Extreme Heat - Pets may need special protection from the extreme heat expected to descend on Nebraska this weekend. Veterinarian Shawn Finch at Banfield Pet Hospital says pets shouldn't be outside for longer than 30 minutes in extreme heat. Finch also says owners should go outside with pets or watch them through a window to make sure they are OK. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 12, 2006: Family's pet rabbit killed as their home is burgled - A HORRIFIED family woke to discover that not only had they been burgled through the night, but their prize pet rabbit was killed. Mark and Deborah Bradley, of Hodgins Road, Blyth, made the gruesome discovery on Monday morning when they woke to find their back yard had been raided. Two children's bikes had been stolen, though these were later recovered, and their pedigree rabbit, Flopsy, had been fatally injured. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 11, 2006: Shoot the rabbits, says Richmond councillor - A Richmond city councillor says farmers in his community south of Vancouver should be allowed to shoot thousands of rabbits eating their way through fields and destroying crops. Harold Steves said the population of domestic rabbits has exploded in the rural areas of south Richmond and farmers are losing the battle. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 11, 2006: Families dump small pets in post-World Cup holiday rush - ANIMAL welfare chiefs have been inundated with hamsters, gerbils and ferrets dumped by last-minute holidaymakers. The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals believes a later-than-usual summer influx of pets to the Lothian Animal Welfare Centre at Balerno could be due to holidaymakers abandoning their pets in a scramble for late deals following the World Cup tournament. As well dogs and cats, there has been a big rise in the number of unwanted small animals, such as hamsters. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 11, 2006: Rare rabbit gets funds to restore habitat - Oh, what the collective luck of a few hundred rabbit feet can do. An endangered bunny that keeps getting knocked off by floods and predators has quickly notched $400,000 from a variety of sources to restore its native stomping grounds along the San Joaquin River. Dozens of riparian brush rabbits are believed to have drowned when the river topped its banks in April. They money will be used to build higher ground for the rabbits as well as thickets they can use for cover. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 7, 2006: PETA’S new cruelty-free logo rabbit hops onto duprey cosmetics packages - Trendy makeup manufacturer Duprey Cosmetics has entered into a licensing agreement with PETA to display the group’s new cruelty-free logo - a whiskery rabbit whose pink ears form a heart - on its packages, literature, and Web site. Duprey co-owners and brothers Brian and Jim Duprey - whose business began in St. Petersburg, where they still have a salon - count among their many celebrity clients cast members from one of TV’s top-rated dramas, actor and Duprey spokesperson Traci Lords, supermodel Niki Taylor, and renowned poet Maya Angelou. With the addition of the PETA logo, Duprey clients will now know at first glance that no bunnies or other animals were harmed in the production of the company’s lipsticks, blushes, eye shadow, or other fine products. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 7, 2006: Preston County Animal Shelter Needs Help - It's looking for donations for more than 100 mistreated animals. Over the weekend, workers took more than 160 dogs, cats and rabbits from the Star Ridge Ranch and Rescue Shelter near Bruceton Mills. Officers say many were malnourished and dehydrated. They were later taken to the Preston County Animal Shelter. The shelter says people have been really helpful so far, but the workers need more. They're looking for donations, litter boxes, bowls, dog houses or you could even foster one of the animals. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 7, 2006: "Hazel" and "Pipkin", the domestic bunnies, and others of their ilk, have little to fear from the impending release of the killer disease, rabbit calicivirus. However, Horizons Regional Council animal pest control officer Bill Martin could give no absolute guarantee yesterday that pet rabbits would not fall victim to the disease. The only way for owners to ensure their pets’ continuing good health was to have them vaccinated. That advice will be given to people whom Horizons pest unit officers will be talking to during the next few days in preparation for the first "official" release of the rabbit-killing disease in the Wanganui-Manawatu region. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 6, 2006: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, with the support of five other animal welfare groups, has petitioned EPA to eliminate a test guideline specifying the use of rabbits for acute, dermal irritation studies - and replace it with an exclusively non-animal protocol. Live rabbits have been used as surrogates for humans in skin irritation and corrosivity tests since the late 1940s. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 6, 2006: Abused bunnies spark manhunt - The grisly discovery of six abused rabbits left to die in a cage on a rural roadside has animal shelter officials on a manhunt. The Calgary Humane Society is asking for the public's help to find those responsible for the suffering and abandonment of the bunnies, which had to be put to death immediately. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 4, 2006: Rabbit Adoption - It has taken several months, but the last of the bunnies, saved from a Reno home, have been neutered and are ready for adoption. At least 1,000 rabbits were brought to a ranch in Lemmon Valley by the Best Friends Animal Society. There, a number of local vets and other animal lovers volunteered to get the animals ready for adoption. If you'd like to take one home, you can call (435) 644-2001. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 4, 2006: Outraged court jails torturer of rabbits - THE Sydney financier Brendan Francis McMahon is destined to spend at least the next year in protective custody. Even prisoners and guards are outraged at the cruelty of the "rabbit man". McMahon, 37, of Tamarama, was sentenced yesterday to 16 months' jail with a 12-month non-parole period, after a magistrate found him guilty of aggravated cruelty for torturing, apparently sexually interfering with and killing 17 rabbits and one guinea pig in July and August last year. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 1, 2006: 200 animals seized from Preston County no-kill shelter - Preston County officials seized about 200 dogs, cats and rabbits from a no-kill shelter this weekend after finding many of them sick or starving. The Star Ridge Ranch and Rescue had been the target of several complaints about the condition of its animals, county Humane Officer Joshua Bolyard said. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ June 30, 2006: Man cited for slaughtering rabbits, chickens - A Brookline man faces a criminal charge for cruelty to animals after neighbors' complaints that he was slaughtering chickens and rabbits. Dave Weyand, 33, also will be cited for violating a city ordinance prohibiting slaughter, without sufficient acreage and setback from neighbors, Pittsburgh police officer Christine Luffey said. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ June 29, 2006: Give your rabbit proper nutrition - The House Rabbit Network would like to remind all rabbit owners of the importance of a proper diet for your bunny. Your rabbit is an important member of your family, who, with proper care and nutrition, can easily live 7-10 years. A healthy diet is the most critical step to ensuring your bunny's good health. The most vital item in your rabbit's diet is hay. Good Timothy hay (or another grass hay) provides the fiber needed to keep your bunny's digestive tract working properly. Alfalfa hay is generally not recommended since it is higher in calcium, protein and fat. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ June 29, 2006: Appointment with vet the fix for 'bunny love' - Dear Gary: I love my bunny. My bunny loves me. Flopsy follows me everywhere. In the garage, out of the garage, in the front yard, in the back yard, into the house (he almost got a flying lesson from my husband that time!). The problem is, Flopsy is much too much in love with my legs and arms... Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ June 19, 2006: Measure Approved To Control Rabbit Population - Multiplication just got harder for rabbits adopted in Los Angeles. The City Council's Budget and Finance Committee signed off Monday on a plan to nearly triple adoption fees for the cuddly creatures to ensure they are sterilized when they leave city shelters. Under the proposal, rabbit adoption fees would jump from the current $15 to $40 at the city's six animal shelters to coincide with rates charged by local nonprofit animal rescue agencies. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ June 18, 2006: Bunnies are cute - in others' yards - Rabbits are adorable, but I've recently discovered something else about them: What I call landscaping, they call lunch. The first time I saw a rabbit in our yard, I motioned my husband over to the window. "Look, there, by the jasmine," I whispered, adding a drawn out "awwwww," in that tone typically reserved for newborns, puppies, and "American Idol's" Kevin Covais. Boy, have things changed since then! At bunny sightings these days, we're both more likely to say other things, most of them unprintable. Granted, with their funny ears and cottony tails, rabbits are cute. But they are also, asI've discovered in the past few months, "Agents of Death" when it comes to most things green and growing. What I call landscaping, they call lunch. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ June 17, 2006: Animal shelter sets week of adoptions - Overcrowded Hayward facility hopes to find homes for cats, dogs, rabbits and goats - The Hayward Animal Shelter usually has plenty. And at its upcoming week-long adoption event, the shelter even has bunnies, goats and a cockatiel. It is more important than ever to find good homes for the animals, said volunteer Christina Gin. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ June 16, 2006: B.C. bunnies 'wreaking havoc' - Many small farms in southern Richmond have been overrun by hungry rabbits which are chewing their way through vegetable and berry crops. Richmond Coun. Harold Steves estimates there are about 5,000 bunnies in the fields, with one farmer losing produce worth about $30,000. Steves said the rabbits are descendants of pets dumped at the Richmond Nature Park over the years. This year, he said the population has exploded and the bunnies have spread to nearby farmland. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ May 20, 2006: Rabbits on Treadmills (a stupid, cruel experiment) - ... Instead, O’Hagan is impregnating 60 rabbits, implanting probes and catheters into them, and forcing them to run on a motorized treadmill. At the end of her experiment, O’Hagan kills the rabbits, cuts them open, and examines their fetuses. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ May 19, 2006: Pet rabbits killed at Ephrata school - Police are investigating the slayings of two rabbits at Ephrata High School. The carcasses were found Wednesday morning inside their cages outside the high school agriculture building. Future Farmers of America students raised the pair of New Zealand rabbits, which weighed about 20 pounds each. "This was a heinous act of cruelty and goes beyond a prank," said Kati Farrer, Ephrata Area School District community relations coordinator. "It appears their necks were wrung or strangled," and then the rabbits were "placed back in the cages." Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ May 18, 2006: Rabbit rescuer needs rescue herself - DEAR AMY: I save rabbits so they aren't "homeless" or sick. People do not understand that rabbits are like dogs or cats - they need homes, too. I have made my mission in life to rescue rabbits. Unfortunately it is starting to wear on my family. I have more than 75 rescued rabbits in our home, and I am trying to start a nonprofit foundation... Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ May 17, 2006: There will be NO TRIAL in the case of two Buffalo men, Peter Colon, 40, of Prospect Avenue, and Luis Lopez, 31, also of Prospect Avenue, charged with severing the front legs from a live bunny and leaving it to die at the door of an acquaintance, a death deemed "haunting" by SPCA officials. An Erie County Grand Jury ruled the evidence in the case insufficient for trial. The men were arrested by Buffalo Police February 24 and charged with cruelty to animals and harassment for the act that took place one day prior. Read more. Read original story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ May 17, 2006: LAST MALE PYGMY RABBIT DIES - The last male purebred Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit is dead. The tiny male rabbit, the last of his species that once populated Douglas County in north-central Washington, died in captivity, where he was being held as part of a breeding program. This leaves just two females as the only known Columbia Basin pygmy rabbits still in existence. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ May 16, 2006: PET RABBIT KICKED TO DEATH BY THUGS - A PET rabbit was taken from its hutch, kicked to death and thrown into a neighbouring garden in what police have called a 'horrific' attack. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ May 15, 2006: 176 Animals Rescued From Southwest Iowa Home - Three people face more than 100 counts of animal neglect. Police raided a home in southwest Iowa and found more than 170 cats, dogs and other animals living in horrific conditions. Sheriff's deputies rescued 176 animals - mainly dogs and cats house in rural Stanton in Montgomery County. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ May 15, 2006: More Than 50 Animals Euthanized After Neglect Charges Filed - Three people face more than 100 counts of animal neglect. Police raided a home in southwest Iowa and found more than 170 cats, dogs and other animals living in horrific conditions. Deputies seized 136 cats, dogs, goats and rabbits. Authorities said that many of the animals were malnourished. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ May 13, 2006: Police hunt for killers who butchered rabbits - THE hunt is on for evil butchers who beheaded two family rabbits and left their remains beside children's play equipment. In the attack which happened during the early hours of Friday at Wentworth Croft, Heanor, Dutch rabbits Twinkle and Little Star were removed from their cages and slaughtered. The mutilated pets were then dumped in the family garden covered in bloodied tissue, minus their heads. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ May 12, 2006: Rabbit killer in street attack on teenager - A YOB who fed a live rabbit to an alligator was order to pay £100 compensation yesterday after assaulting a 14-year-old. Damien French carried out the "thoroughly unpleasant" attack on the boy six weeks after his horrific rabbit feeding offence at Colwyn Bay Mountain Zoo. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ May 5, 2006: Police, vet save rabbit - Thanks to the Park Hills Police Department a domesticated rabbit is going to get a second chance at life. The department recently responded to call which reported a rabbit had been mauled by a dog. Upon arriving on the scene Officer Tony Remshardt found that the rabbit had not been mauled, but was suffering from what appeared to be a severe ear infection. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ May 4, 2006: Mystery person brutally murders school rabbits - Tamagusuku Elementary School students came to school Friday and then had their fragile world shattered. Thirteen rabbits they’d come to love, hug and play with were gone. The first and second grade children had been visiting the rabbits, whose needs were being ministered to by 5th and 6th graders. The older youngsters had catered to the rabbits’ needs all school year, feeding them carrots, cleaning the hutches, and learning the responsibilities of taking care of animals. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 22, 2006: The cuddly rabbit is fast becoming a pesky problem for animal shelters, where bunnies bought as cute pets are dumped once their novelty wears off. Animal shelters in Lake and Geauga counties, as well as in Cleveland, have more than 30 rabbits available for adoption. Officials fear a lot more are coming, as Easter gifts mature into adults. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 20, 2006: Springtime, as well as baby bunnies and chicks, elicits a warm feeling in all of us. Although these are wonderful animals, the MSPCA would like families to think carefully before considering bringing home a rabbit or chick for their children. In 2005 the MSPCA at Nevins Farm in Methuen took in over 200 rabbits and over 500 chickens. These numbers are due in part, to some old Easter traditions. Many families don't give enough thought to the long-term care of baby animals. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 17, 2006: Rabbit restoration effort under way - The numbers of New England cottontail rabbits are on the decline in Maine, with only 300 of the animals remaining in a small range in the southern end of the state. Efforts are under way to increase their numbers by preserving habitat where they live. The numbers have fallen as development pressures have claimed shrub-filled farm fields where the rabbits live. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 17, 2006: Animal groups want to curtail Easter rabbit habit - Animal welfare groups have urged pet owners not to dump domestic rabbits once Easter is over. The RSPCA and Animal Liberation Victoria say bunnies are too often bought as novelties for young children, then discarded as the child gets bored. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 16, 2006: Dwarf rabbits make themselves at home on median - Members of a Henderson family have a problem because their modest home lies much too close to a busy road. Every day, they run the risk of being struck by automobiles and trucks when they venture outside to shopping for groceries or do other errands. The three occupants have found themselves ineligible for relocation benefits through federal, state or local housing programs. What's worse, politicians on any level aren't likely to pull strings on boards or in subcommittees to help non-voters. That's because these constituents are dwarf rabbits. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 15, 2006: Rockwell Powerplant asked to scrap Easter Bunnies promo - NTERNATIONAL television and film actor James Cromwell has joined local animal rights activists in trying to persuade the operators of a high-end Makati City mall to scrap its Easter event where 1,000 bunnies would be given away as prizes to customers. Cromwell, perhaps best known for his role as Farmer Hoggett in the hit movie Babe, said Easter rabbits that would be given children at the Rockwell PowerPlant mall might end up neglected and abandoned. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 15, 2006: Easter bunny runs amok = On any given spring day, ducks, sea gulls and French geese, along with migratory birds and even a few chickens can be seen frolicking around the ponds and rolling hills at the Poly Prep Country Day School in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. But weeks after Easter, the wildlife population there swells to unruly numbers as the 25-acre grassy knoll turns into a dumping ground for abandoned roosters, chicks, rabbits and ducks. Most of the adorable critters are purchased as Easter gifts from pet stores and local poultry markets, but are cast aside weeks or months later after the owners tire of them. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 15, 2006: Give an Easter bunny a home - Here are some Easter bunnies that are in need of lots of love and good homes to go to. They are currently living at the PACT (People for Animal Care Trust) sanctuary in Woodrising, near Hingham. Last summer we reported how the sanctuary was bursting at the seams with unwanted rabbits and made an appeal for help to find them new owners. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 14, 2006: Endangered Rabbits Drown In San Joaquin River - Officials say that several endangered rabbits, including 15 outfitted with tracking devices, drowned when the San Joaquin River overflowed into the Modesto-area flood plain this week. Recent storms were a setback to restoration efforts of the riparian brush rabbit. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 10, 2006: Rabbits in need of new homes do live show at Downtown hotel - A sign in a window in Pittsburgh's Cultural District invites people to view the Peep Show housed within. Pedestrians who stop to peek see three live rabbits - one of them white, two of them blue-gray. The rabbits are temporarily living in a small, gold-framed, street-level window at the Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel, 107 Sixth St., next to the Byham Theater. They are residents of the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society and they need homes. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 14, 2006: Owner charged after dogs kill rabbits - A Hempfield Township man is accused of allowing two dogs to roam freely after they were declared dangerous for killing a goat and biting another dog, resulting in a third attack that left at least six domesticated rabbits dead. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 7, 2006: Drowning of duct-taped rabbit spurs $250 reward - A public-safety non-profit group is offering a reward in the torture and death of a white-and-brown rabbit found bound with duct tape at the bottom of a canal, its legs tied to a brick. An animal control officer found the domesticated rabbit Thursday morning after a woman walking her dog saw what she believed was a dog in the canal near Gilbert and McKellips roads. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 7, 2006: CHARMED by their cute appearance, many Singaporeans keep rabbits as pets. But the sad fact is that many are unprepared to take care of them, resulting in more than 1,000 rabbits being abandoned in Singapore each year. Owners typically abandon their pets in parks and reservoirs. This often leads to their death as they lack the instincts to fend for themselves. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 7, 2006: Bigs bunny: monster rabbit devours English veggie plots - In a tale reminiscent of the last Wallace and Gromit movie, furious villagers in northeast England have hired armed guards to protect their beloved communal vegetable gardens from a suspected monster rabbit. Leeks, Japanese onions, parsnips and spring carrots have all been ripped up and devoured by the mystery were-rabbit - prompting the 12 allotment holders in Felton, north of Newcastle, to hire two marksmen with air rifles and orders to shoot to kill. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 5, 2006: A man who fed a white rabbit to an alligator at a zoo in north Wales has been banned from keeping animals for 10 years and forced to undergo treatment for alcohol abuse. Damien French, 20, shocked visitors at the Welsh Mountain zoo in Colwyn Bay last October when he grabbed a rabbit from a petting zoo area, pulled out one of its ears and threw it into a pool in the alligator house. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 4, 2006: From February 2006 to April 2006, East Bay Animal Advocates documented conditions at Cloverdale Rabbit Company, California's second largest commercial rabbit meat slaughterhouse. During the investigation, five rabbits were saved from slaughter by EBAA. This project marks the first time an animal welfare organization has investigated the rabbit meat industry the United States. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 4, 2006: Thinking about giving your kids a real Easter bunny this year? Consider the chocolate variety instead, bunny lovers and care experts urge, unless you're prepared for an expense such as having your pet spayed or neutered. And you have the time and space required to raise a rabbit properly. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 3, 2006: Purdue University veterinarians in West Lafayette, Ind., are reminding people considering buying an Easter bunny that rabbits represent a long obligation. "Rabbits make wonderful pets, but they are a 10-year commitment," said Lorraine Corriveau, a veterinarian at Purdue's Small Animal Hospital. "Like any other pet, they require attention." Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 3, 2006: The Marin Humane Society is sponsoring a free "Bunny Basics" class April 8 at its Novato headquarters. Marin Humane Society spokeswoman Sheri Cardo said the class is ideal and is timed for those who are thinking about giving a rabbit as an Easter gift. "Make sure you know what you're getting into," Cardo said. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ March 31, 2006: CVHS holds annual Rabbit Education Day - Did you know that rabbits are the third most surrendered pets at animal shelters nationwide? Cocheco Valley Humane Society has rabbits awaiting adoption into loving indoor homes. Rabbits need companionship, and live happiest, neutered or spayed, in bonded pairs, indoors as part of the household. They will thrive with a diet of fresh hay and produce, and high-fiber pellets. They are not low-maintenance pets, but are very social and loving, will litter-train easily after spaying or neutering, and bond for life with another rabbit. Rabbits may live seven to 10 years or more. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ March 31, 2006: Groups sue over rabbit protection - Conservation groups have sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, claiming the agency ignored some scientific information in recommending not to list the pygmy rabbit as an endangered or threatened species. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court by the Hailey, Idaho-based Western Watersheds Project, joined by the Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, Center for Native Ecosystems, Oregon Natural Desert Association and the Sagebrush Sea Campaign. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ March 30, 2006: The House Rabbit Network reminds all rabbit owners that it is important for bunnies to have yearly veterinary check ups. Although vaccines are not routinely necessary for rabbits, exams are needed for preventative care. Rabbits are extremely skilled at masking illness and a serious problem might go unnoticed by an untrained eye. Of course, bunny owners should learn to be acutely aware of their rabbit's behavior and health. With the combination of close observation and regular annual exams by a rabbit-savvy veterinarian, your bunny should live a healthy, long life. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ March 29, 2006: Three domestic rabbits recently abandoned near a St. Albert car dealership came within a 'hare' of being a pre-Easter feast for a hutch of 30 feral bunnies yesterday. "One of them near had his eye scratched out, his hair's all matted and he looks like he's in pretty rough shape," said Stan Sherburne, lot attendant at Ron Hodgson's used vehicle dealership on St. Albert Trail. He arrived at work yesterday to find the three bunnies being bullied by abandoned pet rabbits that have called the wooded area near the dealership home for many years. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ March 28, 2006: The Utah-based rescue group trying to save more than 1,000 rabbits from a backyard in southeast Reno has temporarily run out of room. "There are a lot more bunnies than we even thought," Rebecca Preston, a leader of the effort, said Monday. "We had fencing for about 800. Now we're going to have to scramble and build more fences." Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ March 27, 2006: The coyote population is alive and well in Washington County, as a town of Hartford man found to his dismay after his pet rabbit was killed by a pack of them. The rabbit was in a cage in the rear of the residence in the 3800 block of Thornapple Road, north of Highway 60 and east of Kettle Moraine Road, and was killed Monday after having its legs eaten off through the mesh screen flooring of the hutch, according to a Washington County Sheriff's Department report. Another rabbit in an adjoining cage was "nibbled on," the report stated, but survived. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ March 25, 2006: Rabbits rule - Cottontails, cute and plenty - Truth be told, there's more than one Easter Bunny. You've got your white, lop-eared rabbit cardboard cutout carrying baskets of jelly beans: Bugs Bunny without the Warner Brothers entourage. Live Easter rabbits include a crowd of domestics, such as the Netherlands dwarf and the wild snowshoe hare. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ March 20, 2006: Abandoned rabbits on rise warns charity - ANIMAL welfare chiefs are warning that the number of rabbits being abandoned is on the rise and fear their centres will soon be full because of the problem. The SSPCA says a record number of the animals have been delivered to its Lothians centre this year, the majority of them in the last fortnight. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ March 19, 2006: Friends of Rabbits Announces Public Spay and Neuter All Rabbits! Fund - The newly merged companion rabbit advocacy groups, Friends of Rabbits & House Rabbit Sanctuary, announce the creation of the Spay & Neuter All Rabbits! fund. Just in time for an Easter kickoff, this fund intends to not only educate the public about the need for rabbit spaying and neutering but first and foremost to provide assistance to those who would otherwise be the least likely to seek this procedure for their pet rabbit. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ March 16, 2006: Youths fling dead rabbit at cart diners - "Deviant and sick" is how Napier woman Ida Uiese described the actions of a group of youths who threw a dead pet rabbit at people eating beside a takeaway cart on West Quay early last Saturday morning. It was an incident which left her co-worker friend in tears and her in shock at the callousness of the animal's killers. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ March 10, 2006: A YOUNG man who grabbed a rabbit from the petting corner at a zoo and fed it to the alligators was told yesterday to expect a jail sentence. Damien French, 20, laughed as he dropped the white rabbit from a balcony into a pond in the alligators’ enclosure, where it was seized and eaten by a large male called Albert. French, of Colwyn Bay, North Wales, was found guilty of cruelty after a day-long trial in Llandudno. Alan Roberts, chairman of the magistrates, told him that a custodial sentence was a “very likely” option. The offence carries a maximum penalty of six months’ imprisonment. Sentencing was deferred until April 5. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ March 9, 2006: Cape considers rabbit preserve - Cape Elizabeth could soon become a sanctuary for cottontail bunnies. Town leaders are considering earmarking 15 acres of town land specifically for a New England Cottontail habitat. Indigenous to New England, the cottontail is on deck to be placed on the federal endangered species list, said Endangered Species Biologist Michael Amaral, who works for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. By hosting a home for the fluffy-tailed critters, Cape could help ensure the rabbit never reaches the list, he said. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ March 8, 2006: Rabbit roundup nets lots of pregnant bunnies - Rabbit rescuers at Woodland Park in Seattle are getting more than they expected as they trap bothersome bunnies who have been digging a labyrinth of tunnels under the park, damaging trees and plants. Many of the female rabbits caught so far are pregnant. That means bouncing baby bunnies could be born all over Woodland Park before the end of the month if they aren't trapped, sterilized and transported to Rabbit Meadows Sanctuary in Redmond, where they can start safe new lives. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ March 7, 2006: Bunny mutilator insane: court told - A Sydney-based financier accused of the mutilation deaths of 17 rabbits and a guinea pig has failed to persuade a magistrate to deal with his case under the Mental Health Act. Brendan Francis McMahon, 37, is charged with 18 counts of aggravated animal cruelty and two counts of possessing cannabis. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ March 5, 2006: Artist beheads rabbits for show - A GERMAN artist is facing prosecution after beheading two rabbits at a gallery in an attempt to portray man’s predatory instincts. Falk Richwien, 43, claims he was helping startled onlookers to break with the "supermarket culture" of the 21st century and reconnect with their hunter-gatherer lineage. Animal welfare activists have branded him a monster. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ March 3, 2006: GRAND JURY WILL HEAR TESTIMONY IN THE FELONY CASE OF MAIMED BUNNY - SPCA Officials, Buffalo Police, Caring Community Members Present in Court. Two Buffalo men charged with severing the front legs from a live bunny and leaving it to die at the door of an acquaintance will take their testimonies to the Grand Jury, as per a court ruling this afternoon. Read more. Read original story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ March 3, 2006: Pet rabbits are at risk from horrific condition - You'd expect bunnies to thrive at Easter - but apparently not. As the warmer months approach, pet rabbits are risk from a horrific condition known as flystrike, according to the Rabbit Welfare Fund. And rabbit owners need to check their pets' bottoms daily to protect them against the disease, vets are warning. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ March 1, 2006: Rabbits thrown from car, survive - Their injuries are unimaginable. But just how several rabbits got to this point, is even harder to comprehend. "It's hard to believe that any human being could be so uncaring and cruel," says Nancy LaRoche, co-manager of the Colorado House Rabbit Society. "I was horrified when I found out what had happened to them." Read more. Video clip
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ March 1, 2006: 1,000 bunnies and counting! It’s the craziest bunny drama Best Friends has ever seen - 1,000 fluffy bunny rabbits bouncing around one backyard! They’re lively and playful, and they have a whole world to themselves with the snow-capped mountains of Reno providing the view. But their plea? "Give us some room!" Space is tight for these guys, and more bunnies are born every day. They’re fighting each other for elbow room. Boys are getting into brawls. Moms are leaving their litters right on the lawn because there’s no more room deep in the tunnels, where the babies are safer. And 1,000 is only an estimate. Nobody could ever sit down and count all these rabbits one by one. They’re hidden under your feet, burrowed into tunnels; what you see is only a fraction of what you’ve got! Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ February 20, 2006: Crisis as pets breed like rabbits - Fast-breeding pairs of rabbits are adding to a crowding crisis at a Lincolnshire animal shelter. Nearly 100 unwanted pet rabbits have been occupying cages at a shelter run by Lincoln's RSPCA branch. The charity has stopped taking in more rabbits and says there is only enough funding to care for those already housed for two more months. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ February 20, 2006: A CUMBRIAN pair who neglected two rabbits have been banned from keeping the animals for five years. Ian Christopher Littleton, 55, and 21-year-old Laura Marie Stoddart, both of Burble Farm, Macey Bank, Southwaite, both admitted animal cruelty charges at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court. Littleton, a farmer, had bought the rabbits in spring but became too busy too tend to them during the summer. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ February 16, 2006: Before you decide to buy your child a bunny for Easter, here are some facts you should know. Many people think rabbits are low maintenance pets. Nothing could be further from the truth. Rabbits are physically delicate and fragile and require specialized veterinary care. Failure to pick a rabbit up by supporting its forequarters with one hand and its hindquarters with the other hand can result in spinal injuries. Handling rabbits appropriately is imperative. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ February 16, 2006: Teens admit taking, killing school rabbit - Three 18-year-old boys are in custody for kicking to death a rabbit they stole from a Tokyo elementary school last year, police said Wednesday. Police said the three teens, whose names are being withheld because they are minors, have confessed to the crime, which is a violation of the animal protection law. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ February 15, 2006: Rabbit rescuers need you to hop to it - As many as 80 of the hundreds of cast-off bunnies at Green Lake and Lower Woodland Park may already have buns in the oven - probably about a half-dozen per doe. So it's past time to get hoppin'. If the Seattle Parks Department's partnership with the House Rabbit Society is going to work to rescue and move hundreds of endangered and destructive bunnies, it will have to be done today or wait until next November. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ February 14, 2006: Fur flies over Beyonce's bunnies! R and B sensation Beyonce Knowles is reportedly being bombarded with hate mail for selling animal fur in her fashion range. The curvy singer has been sent sacks of letters since her label, Dereon, started selling clothes made of rabbit and chinchilla fur - and teddy bears made of mink. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ February 9, 2006: Barbaric 'coursing' pits dogs against wild rabbits - You may have seen a KGO-TV program last Sunday night about an activity called "coursing." Fast-running dogs such as greyhounds and whippets are used to run down jackrabbits and rip them to pieces. It's horrible. I was getting ready to write about it Wednesday when I received the following press release from Animal Place. Kim's a caring lady and really jumps on these things. Here's what Animal Place says: Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ February 8, 2006: Giant rabbit saved from cook pot - After Herman the huge bunny hopped into the news on Friday, there have been lots of giant rabbit stories, but none as heart-warming as the tale of Rudi. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ February 7, 2006: City Euthanizes Dozens of Abandoned Rabbits - Sixty-five pet rabbits have been found abandoned around the city in recent months, and all but one have been euthanized, city officials said. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ February 3, 2006: Sickening Attack On Pet Rabbits - SICK yobs in Colne have stolen pet rabbits from back yards, simply to set their dogs on them and watch them being ripped apart. A number of residents around the Slater Avenue area have woken to find their beloved pets gone from hutches, and later found them dead in fields behind the North Valley Estate. One resident, who had four rabbits taken, was close to tears as she told the Colne Times: "I walked back round the field that day and found one of my rabbits dead and another in bits." Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ February 4, 2006: Mystery rabbit dumpings in Palo Alto - A wave of mysterious rabbit abandonments has hit Palo Alto its community gardens and baylands in the past six months, according to Palo Alto Animal Services officer Diane Pearson. Since August 1, 65 abandoned rabbits have been picked up by animal services officers from five separate dumping incidents -- the most recent on Saturday, Jan. 28. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ February 3, 2006: Herman could be 'biggest bunny' - A man has been showing off his gigantic rabbit named Herman. The mighty bunny weighs a massive 7.7kg, and his ears are a lengthy 21cm - almost as long as most pet rabbits are tall. And he is almost 1m tall. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ January 31, 2006: Cruel thugs kill pet rabbits - CATCH these sick killers - that is the call from a devastated animal lover after heartless thugs hanged one of her pet rabbits only a day after fatally poisoning another. Heartbroken Zoe Ploughman, of North Street, Driffield, now fears for the safety of her remaining rabbits and other pets in Driffield after the double killings. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ January 18, 2006: BAY AREA - Bunny boom leaves shelters scrambling to find homes - Scores of rabbits may be euthanized if they aren't adopted. Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ January 16, 2006: Rabbits overwhelm Oakland shelter - Many of the 40 bunnies in need of homes were confiscated during illegal sale - When Betty and Veronica see someone enter the front door of the Oakland Animal Shelter, they are quick to demand attention. The two young rabbits hop over and press their noses against their wire mesh cage and, with big, round eyes, seem to plead, "Take me home." Read more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Janury 15, 2006: Rabbit attack horrifies family - A FAMILY was distraught last night after their eight pet rabbits were slaughtered in a sick early morning attack. Police and RSPCA chiefs are investigating after a collection of lop-earred bunnies were found mutilated. Read more.