Guelph Humane Society has too many rabbits, and not enough adopters
Several Ontario rescue groups are dealing with a surge of domestic bunnies
Staff at the Guelph Humane Society are dealing with a surge of domestic rabbits and say not enough people are adopting them.
Adrienne McBride, CEO of the Guelph Humane Society, told CBC News staff have taken in over 90 rabbits so far this year, a significant increase from 2020, when a total of 60 rabbits were surrendered to the humane society in Guelph, Ont.
"We're almost seeing them come in on a daily basis," McBride said.
"What we want to do is sound the alarm bells before we get to a real population crisis for pet rabbits."
McBride says she's not quite sure why they are seeing an increase this year, but suggests it could be a combination of people no longer being able to care for their pet rabbit, unexpected litters, and the fact that the humane society sometimes takes in a female that is pregnant.
She said the humane society is adopting the rabbits out in pairs because some of the rabbits are bonded and need to be adopted together.
The GHS has about 18 pairs of bunnies, in addition to rats and guinea pigs, ready for adoption.
McBride said the humane society has a special sale for small animals right now to encourage the community to adopt, but uptake has lagged.
"We're certainly seeing a number of individuals pet owners and rabbit rescues that are becoming overwhelmed with the number of rabbits in their care ... who are on our waiting list waiting for space in the humane society," she said.
Other animal organizations see similar surge
McBride adds the issue is not unique to the Guelph Humane Society.
She said humane societies and animal services in Windsor and Toronto have reached out to her organization, hoping to transfer some rabbits to their facilities.
"Often we seek out transfers when we have too many of one animal in our care and we look to other partners to see if they have space available," she said.
"We're finding that all partners are really at capacity for rabbits and looking for options. As a collective, humane societies really start to worry when we see exceeding populations in our care, just like we did with cats 10 or 15 years ago. "
McBride hopes people consider adopting a pet rabbit rather than purchasing one from a breeder.
She also strongly encourages people to do their research beforehand if they are considering a pet rabbit.