A group of volunteers who rescued about a hundred rabbits from a Granada Hills home last month are under pressure to find them homes because the furry creatures are beginning to multiply, as rabbits tend to do, with the colony likely to soon grow more. of 300 bunnies.
The rabbits, including babies, nursing mothers, young rabbits and adults, are currently housed at six animal shelters in Los Angeles.
The rabbits' story began on Feb. 20 when a Granada Hills resident called Los Angeles Animal Services for help capturing and removing a large group of rabbits, according to a spokesperson for the city agency. The animals appeared to have been kept in a makeshift pen in a backyard loaded with industrial equipment.
On Feb. 24, volunteers from the nonprofit group Bunny World Foundation helped capture about 50 rabbits at the city's request. The job was complicated because recent rains had created a muddy scene for volunteers who had to pick up the bunnies, most of which had matted fur. The rest of the rabbits were picked up by LA Animal Services on February 27.
The rabbits were transported to the West Valley Animal Shelter, where the babies were separated from the rest and taken by the Bunny World Foundation. During the following days, the colony dispersed to other shelters in the city.
“We took in all the babies because they really couldn't survive in the shelter system,” said Bunny World Foundation founder Lejla Hadzimuratovic.
Hadzimuratovic expected hundreds of babies among the rabbits, but there were only nine, leading her to believe others were likely eaten by coyotes, owls, foxes and other predators at the Granada Hills home.
The rabbits appeared well fed, but most are long-haired, meaning they should not have been kept outdoors and require daily brushing to prevent painful matting of the fur, Hadzimuratovic said.
The ever-expanding rabbit colony is a handful for the group of volunteers, which includes about a dozen people and hundreds of foster homes. The group does not have an established office, but is helping the city transport rescued rabbits to their medical appointments and coordinating their eventual adoptions.
It's unclear if the person who called the city for help will be cited or billed for the rabbit colony that flourished on his property. But it's not surprising that the situation got out of control because a rabbit's pregnancy lasts about 30 days, meaning an adult bunny could have a new litter every four to six weeks, according to experts.
“I understand that last night they took two pops, one with eight [babies] and one with seven babies,” Gayle Roberts, a veterinarian at Northwood Animal Hospital in Irvine, said of the rescued rabbits. Roberts, who has worked with the Bunny World Foundation in the past, spayed and neutered at least 10 rescue rabbits after their arrival at the city's animal shelters.
While there is a real need to find homes for rabbits, whether foster or permanent, Roberts cautioned animal lovers who may want to foster rabbits.
Rabbit adopters should perform constant grooming to prevent matting of the rabbit's fur and should closely monitor the rabbit's diet and feces.
If a rabbit has stomach problems, it cannot vomit because its digestive system is one-way. Instead of appearing sick, a rabbit will simply stop eating and all the normal digestive bacteria in its stomach will disappear, Roberts said. Rabbit owners should be familiar with this common and dangerous condition known as gastrointestinal stasis.
“You have to watch them carefully,” he added.
That means monitoring your stool and eating habits.
“It's a little labor intensive as far as buying them food, feeding them, cleaning them and all that,” Roberts said.
Rabbits also need a companion they can bond with and plenty of space to play, preferably indoors, Roberts said.
That 2-for-1 adoption deal could be just what the city and the Bunny World Foundation need right now as they search for new homes.
“We have to screen all the candidates, because once people realize that parenting is actually a job, sometimes they back out,” Hadzimuratovic said. “We depend on the integrity of people. If we're going to take this mom out of the shelter and put her in your house, and then about a month later you say, 'Well, I'm done.' Can someone else take care of it? Well, who else will take charge?
Anyone interested in raising a rabbit can visit the Bunny World Foundation website.
or email [email protected].
