SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Rabbits rescued from a home in the Fairmont Park area by the San Diego Humane Society's Humane Law Enforcement unit earlier this month are now ready to find new, loving families, it was announced Monday.
Neighbors called the Humane Society to report rabbits running loose near a home in the Fairmont Park area of San Diego. When officers arrived on March 6, they found nearly rabbits kept in a backyard enclosure without proper access to food, water or clean living spaces.
Officers noticed some of the rabbits appeared ill with minor injuries, had red eyes and missing patches of fur. The owners agreed to relinquish the 23 rabbits to SDHS, as they were not able to properly care for them.
Veterinarians at SDHS's Pilar & Chuck Bahde Center for Shelter Medicine treated the rabbits for minor fight wounds, issues related to poor husbandry and upper respiratory disease. One female was pregnant and gave birth to three more kits on March 15. The rabbits reported running loose on the street were also found and taken to the San Diego Humane Society for care.
The 17 rabbits up for adoption have been rehabilitated and medically cleared by San Diego Humane Society's veterinary team.
"If you are a pet owner and your situation is starting to overwhelm you, please reach out to us so we can be a part of the solution," said Bill Ganley, SDHS's chief of Humane Law Enforcement. "As an open admission shelter, we are here to help anyone who is unable to care for their animals. Please just ask for help, so it does not have to come to this."
Rabbits can have four to 10 kits per pregnancy, and with a gestation period of only 29-35 days, they can have multiple large litters per year. To prevent unwanted breeding, San Diego Humane Society spays and neuters all rabbits before they are made available for adoption.
All of the rabbits available for adoption have also been vaccinated against Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Type 2.
For anyone interested in adopting a rabbit, visit sdhumane.org/adopt. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, adoptions are by appointment only.
For more information about pet rabbit care, click here.
