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Pet rabbits being dumped in Twin Cities
If you’ve noticed for rabbits running outside than usual, it’s likely because Rabbit Rescues of MN says there’s an increase in pet rabbits being set free by owners who no longer want them.
(FOX 9) - If you've noticed more rabbits wandering outside than usual, there could be a reason. Rabbit rescues in the Twin Cities said the increasing number of strays is overwhelming and heartbreaking.
They’re not referring to wild rabbits. They’re talking about domestic rabbits that are meant to be pets.
"What (people) don't understand is that rabbit is terrified. That rabbit has no wild survival skills whatsoever. And nine times out of 10, a predator will get them before we can get to them," said Deb Mans, the president of the Rabbit Rescue of Minnesota.
Mans currently has 12 rabbits at her home, including a family of four siblings that can’t be separated. On nice days like Monday, she brings the bunnies out to her backyard to play in an enclosed pen.
"This is the only way rabbits should be outside. They should be in a pen with human supervision," Mans said.
However, she’s noticing more and more domestic rabbits outside for another reason: people dumping them.
"Under a car, through a neighborhood and in fields. We get calls, and when we send out a capture team to go get them," she explained.
The Rabbit Rescue of Minnesota has been rescuing, on average, four or five a month at a time when rescues across the Metro are already full. They have a total of more than 130 rabbits in their care right now that need good homes.
Mans believes the problem stems from people who got pets during the pandemic or for Easter and didn't do enough research to know they are exotic, high-maintenance animals.
"They thought a rabbit would be really cute and really easy. Not true. Rabbits are a lot of work," Mans said.
Over the weekend, 25 rabbits were abandoned near Stillwater and brought to an impound lot. Many of them are pregnant and are now in need of foster homes.
"We're assuming it's probably a breeder that wanted out of the business and didn't want to do their due diligence to find a safe place for the rabbits," Mans said.
She's asking anyone who sees a pet rabbit wandering to get it inside immediately and call a rescue. She also said people should not assume someone is missing their pet, because more often than not, the bunny was intentionally abandoned.
"If it's a black bunny, or a black and white bunny, or a brown bunny, or a bunny with floppy ears, you're looking at a domestic rabbit, a rabbit that needs to be housed indoors," she said.
To learn more about adopting or fostering a bunny, visit the rescue’s website.