A woman was walking in Vancouver when a box on the street started to move. To her surprise, there were three tiny bunnies inside that had been abandoned.
Sorelle Saidman, the founder of Rabbitats Rescue Society, received the call from the woman, who found the rabbits on Cardero Street and went to go pick them up on Tuesday.
“They were terrified. They were frozen. They were just terrified little beasts and they didn't move for hours at all,” she says.
Saidman describes the pet bunnies as purebred Holland Lops, which are very desirable. One of the rabbits is likely pregnant.
"They are very thin and they need a bit of recovery time,” she says.
Saidman believes the owners of the bunnies were irresponsible and questions whether they tried to find new homes for them.
"I think had they made more of an effort to re-home the rabbits… these guys were on the top of a want list. So they were irresponsible in that respect,” she says.
Currently, Rabbitats is being called every day with people trying to give away their pet rabbits.
“Right now, if you get somebody who's got a post-COVID bunny, and they're going back to work, they can't take care of their rabbit... I don't think there's anybody who would be able to take those rabbits,” she tells Glacier Media.
She’s concerned about a possible feral colony of rabbits in Vancouver.
“You dump a litter of five or six rabbits and they give birth every 31 days, their litters are getting bigger than ever,” she says. “It costs an awful lot more to take 40 rabbits out of the environment than it does to take two.”
She hopes municipalities will start making arrangements to take in rabbits.
“They have to provide the resources to their shelters, or support rescues in order to keep the rabbits out of the environment.”
If people are considering getting a pet rabbit, she hopes they’ll buy from an organization. If it doesn't work out, they can return them. People wanting to surrender bunnies or those who see abandoned rabbits should visit the Rabbitats Rescue Society website.
The three bunnies are currently being cared for and will be put up for adoption.
Saidman says they are looking for fosters and adopters, adding that they will get the bunnies spayed and neutered first.
