Animal rescue removes rabbits at risk of being put down from Vancouver's Granville Island

A society committed to rescuing abandoned rabbits and their feral offspring says it's removed more than two dozen of the animals from Vancouver's Granville Island after management there had planned to euthanize them.

"This has been the best outcome for the Granville Island rabbits," said Rabbitats Rescue Society founder Sorelle Saidman in a release describing how the animals were moved to the organization's rescue centre.

Rabbitats says the animals, which included two pregnant females that gave birth to 10 offspring, will be spayed or neutered and then put up for adoption.

The trapping and removal of the animals was a compromise between the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), which manages Granville Island on behalf of the federal government, and animal advocates.

In the fall, the number of rabbits on Granville Island was estimated to be about 40 and was attracting coyotes to the popular tourist destination. CMHC said the situation was posing a threat to visitors and their pets.

It originally planned to have the rabbits euthanized by a licensed veterinarian after it was told Rabbitats did not have space for the animals. The announcement of that plan was met with opposition and protest by animal activists.

But CMHC managed to broker a deal with Rabbitats, which then began trapping the animals this fall.

"We're so happy management was willing to work with us. They've been very supportive," said Saidman. "This ensures the safety of the environment and the humans and other pets on the island at risk from the coyotes as well." 

The Rabbitats rescue centre on Venables Street doubles as a cafe where guests can pay an admission fee to visit the animals.

The young rabbits from Granville Island will be at the centre for the next six weeks, after which the rescue will be looking for people to care for them.

They will be available for adoption after they are spayed or neutered. Those who are not adopted will live out their lives at a Rabbitats sanctuary, the society says.

In a statement sent to CBC News, CHMC said its partnership with Rabbitas was working out as planned and that all rabbits known to be in the area have been rescued.

"We're so pleased with this outcome, it is really ideal," said the statement from Lisa Ono, manager of public affairs and programming with CMHC.