Bunny Bust: SPCA Raids Home, Confiscates 21 Malnourished Rabbits in Oakland

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 7sd replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 7 months ago by MarkBun.

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- 06/30/2011 at 11:03 AM
  SugarbearNPepper
  Participant
  310 posts
  Animal officials stormed a Lake Merritt home in Oakland’s Tuesday night and scooped up 21 deformed and malnourished bunnies who were being prepped to be eaten. Now, they are looking to find these precious hares a new home after so much suffering, according to news reports.
  
  Megan Webb, director of Oakland animal services told the Chronicle that while it’s legal to raise animals for food, the scene of malnourished and frightened bunnies clearly wasn’t okay. “This blurs the lines for animal cruelty. When is it okay to raise something for food, and when is it cruelty?” she said.
  
  Some animal-friendly neighbors had tipped off the SPCA last week to the plethora of bunnies who were being caged in the common area of the apartment complex. The bunnies were packed into two crowded wire cages that were so small the animals were stacked upon one another.
  
  When the animal organization found the stacked rabbits, they had urine and feces on them, which had reportedly scalded their skin. The harsh owner only fed the little hares white rice, which only worsened their condition — they had bloated bellies and malformed bones.
  
  “The smell of urine was overwhelming. But what stays in my mind is how frantic they were,” Webb told the Chron. “They were desperate for food and water.”
  
  The owner is being investigated.
  
  SO SAD!! WHY DO PEOPLE DO THESE THINGS?!?!
- 06/30/2011 at 12:24 PM
  Stickerbunny
  Participant
  4128 posts
  Those poor babies I hope they all find loving homes that can teach them what it’s like to have a bunny slave at their service!
- 06/30/2011 at 4:28 PM
  MarkBun
  Participant
  2842 posts
  The rabbits already look 100% better at Oakland Animal Services. Most are much more alert and happy and even a few binkies have been reported. There are a couple that are still out of it and their condition is guarded. SaveABunny took 4 of the younger ones since we’re just wrapping up the work on the babies that were born so we have the young bun stuff still fresh. We also took one that had a broken leg that had already began to mend itself. It’ll be a tiny bit crooked (not like tippy or nadia) but everything looks good for this bun. Once things settle down a little bit more, we’ll probably take a couple more off of their hands although, just like every other rabbit shelter/rescue, we’re already at capacity.
- 06/30/2011 at 9:29 PM
  MimzMum
  Participant
  8029 posts
  “Raising rabbits for food is not ‘green,’ it’s not eco-friendly. It only adds to animal suffering,” said Marcy Schaaf, director of Save a Bunny, a Mill Valley nonprofit. “Rabbits are sentient beings, just like dogs and cats. In our culture, they’re companion animals.”
  
  GO MARCY! *nods*
  
  I remember the area near Lake Merritt…it’s right downtown almost isn’t it? I think that’s what galls me about this, beyond the rabbits’ suffering. All the people who must’ve known about it and only one person spoke up. Or did enough to get the SPCA in to look at it. Thank God for them!
  
  Are there any links up yet regarding the ones at SAB, Mark? I realize the article was just posted today, but I’d like to help.
- 07/01/2011 at 12:07 AM
  brittbritt
  Participant
  542 posts
  I just can’t understand that so many people knew it was going on and didn’t help them. My 7 year old daughter knows better than to let an animal suffer like that.
- 07/01/2011 at 7:23 AM
  SugarbearNPepper
  Participant
  310 posts
  That is great to hear Markbun! Glad most of them are doing better. Such an unfortunate situation….
- 07/07/2011 at 6:45 PM
  stinkybinky
  Participant
  44 posts
  I read an article about one of the bunnies named Kiko! Its touching…you can read it here: http://www.examiner.com/animal-welfare-in-stockton/a-by-product-of-backyard-animal-agriculture-kiko-s-story?fb_comment=35160901
- 07/08/2011 at 12:21 PM
  MarkBun
  Participant
  2842 posts
  For the record, the “apartment complex” was just a large house where the owner had rented out a lower area to a tenant and the rabbits were kept in a small, enclosed back yard. It wasn’t a 10+ unit with a common area filled with bunnies.
  
  One of the buns SAB has developed a fever but is doing better today. They’re still continuing to grow and enjoy people – which still amazes me.
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