We got this plea from across the country for a house bunny desperately in need of some TLC and rehabilitation and proper socialization:

Dear Peegie,
I have a very spoiled house rabbit of my own that I've had for over 5 years. So I offered to rabbit-sit my bosses netherland dwarf six months ago thinking she would eventually want the rabbit back. He stays outside in my garage. My boss says he has to stay outside because he will get sick if you bring him in. Now she says she doesn't want him back. I feel so bad for the rabbit, Magic. When Magic came to me he arrived in a worn out rusted metal cage. He had nothing in the cage but a bowl of food and a water bottle. He was extremely skinny. His nails had never been cut so they were all curled up and some of his toes were misformed because of it. He had arthritis in his feet from sitting on cold rusty metal all the time. His front upper teeth overlap a bit so he has trouble eating. His owner said he would never eat pellets so they gave him just vegetables and not even any timothy hay. I cut his nails, washed his feet, put cardboard in the cage for him to sit on, gave him pellets with warm pineapple juice on them to softed them up for his teeth, provided timothy hay and a box for him to sleep in inside his cage. He has stayed in my garage all winter, even when it was 20 below last week (I put a hot-water bottle and blanket in his cage). I don't want to bring him inside because I don't want him to get sick and because he doesn't get along with my house rabbit (she lunges at him). Also he isn't litter trained.

I don't know what to do with him. I have been trying to litter box train him but he doesn't get it. Also, he sprays me every time I go in the garage to feed him. Even from 5 feet away he manages to spray me. He isn't a mean rabbit. He is very good tempered and doesn't move a bit when I cut his nails. Magic is about 6 years old we figure. He doesn't hop very well because he was seldom out of his cage and because I think he has arthritis in his feet.

I want to give him to a shelter because I can't make a house rabbit out of him and because I only have a one car garage and I need the space for my car. But I'm worried that no one will want Magic and he will have to be put to sleep. But maybe putting him to sleep would be the more humane thing to do than to see him suffer as he gets older.

I'm really torn. What would be best for this rabbit with his problems?

Thank you.
Jean