Lower Mainland rabbit shelters overflowing with bunnies

Rabbit shelters and parks in Vancouver are bursting with bunnies, as one shelter in the area says they are full to the brim.

The Vancouver Rabbit Rescue and Advocacy shelter says it currently has over 200 rabbits and doesn’t have space for any more.

“We’re trying not to take rabbits at this time. We will take injured or sick rabbits or rabbits in immediate danger,” Olga Betts, the president of the organization, explained.

Rows of fluffy bunnies patiently waiting for their forever homes can be seen at the shelter, but the reality is, that may never come true.

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“Some of those won’t be able to find a home because they’re either very old or injured or there’s something wrong with them. But most of them do need a home,” Betts said.

Betts explains there was an increase in surrendered rabbits when people returned to work after the COVID-19 lockdowns and couldn’t care for their pets.

But with Easter right around the corner, she says she is hoping families think twice before buying the fluffy animal as a gift.

“If a family is really keen on a rabbit, they should do their research, and if it’s the parents who want the pet, then that’s fine,” she said.

Although the small creatures may look like they are made to be hugged, Betts says rabbits actually aren’t cuddly creatures.

“If you’re getting rabbits just for children, it’s not a very good idea. They’re not good pets for little children because they usually want to pick things up and carry them around,” she explained.

“Rabbits are not cuddly. They don’t like that. They require a bit of care and people paying attention to them.”

At Vancouver’s Jericho Beach, a lot of bunnies can be seen bouncing around.

The Vancouver Park Board says they’re mostly descendants of abandoned pets. If parkgoers are caught feeding the rabbits, they can face fines of up to $500. The Park Board also warns that food left out for rabbits can attract mice and rats which can spread disease

The executive director of the Invasive Species Council of British Columbia, says rabbits aren’t native to the area and hurt the environment.

“The easiest way to protect our environment is not to let them loose. Once you’ve let it loose, even a sterilized rabbit, they can carry a risk of diseases to our native species, and we don’t want that,” Gail Wallin said.

“People aren’t recognizing the impact either to the social side…You’ve now got what you thought was a nice park that is now full of burrows that they’ve dug tunnels. So, that’s a risk to you for walking, and particularly for older people or young kids,” Wallin explained. “They’ve got the risk of spreading disease to other animals and that’s to the rabbits. And that’s a risk that’s happening now and has actually decreased the population of rabbits in some areas.”

Bunnies breed like rabbits — get them spayed or neutered

In a statement, the City of Vancouver says it discourages parkgoers from touching any wildlife and not letting dogs chase rabbits.

“Rabbits carry pests and parasites such as ticks, which can transmit deadly diseases to humans and dogs such as Lyme Disease,” the city said.

Betts adds the rabbits at Jericho are often subjected to violence, too.

“There [are] horrible people that go down there just for sport and shoot at them with BB guns or let their children throw stones at them,” she said.

If you’re still thinking of bringing a bunny into your home, Betts says to be prepared for a 10-15 year commitment, adding it is important to have them spayed or neutered, because bunnies can give birth when they’re 5 months old, and can have babies once a month.

“Too much accidental breeding creates a lot of rabbits. And it’s a very simple thing to prevent. If you have your pet rabbit spayed or neutered, it cannot reproduce,” she said.