Holland Lops Released into the Wild

[Heshe123]

Hello, all, my name is Faith! I am a brand new member and have decided to create this account to help me work through a series of troubling events as the subject matter of this post entails.  I have browsed the Binkybunny site briefly and am amazed at the willingness of its members to help other pet owners in need, it’s so lovely to see. I only hope I will be able to articulate myself properly so that someone may be able to provide me with answers. (I’m writing this in a bit of a hurry so I apologize if the post seems extensive and rant-y) 

A run-down of the events: 

My family was at a part at my aunt’s house and my uncle recalled seeing a white bunny in the backyard earlier that day with floppy ears. Definitely unusual, so I thought we could be dealing with an escaped pet. The bunny showed up again later that evening and I immediately recognized it as a Holland Lop. Knowing it shouldn’t be outdoors unattended seeing as it is a domestic breed, my uncle caught it with a laundry basket. Taking a closer look, my sis suddenly recognized the bunny as belonging to my aunt’s neighbor’s young daughter. Going on Instagram, she shows us a pic of the exact same white rabbit (with spots of light brown) and a black Holland Lop. The caption read ‘Just found out my mom let my rabbits go’ . We decided to approach the neighbors to try and return the rabbit to them but the mom acted strangely. She repetitively said in whispered tones “Those aren’t our rabbits, I’ve seen them in our backyard too but we have our rabbits.” Her kids were watching the interaction, and her body language seemed to say”yeah those are our bunnies and I did let them go but I don’t want the kids to know”.  

After relentless begging by my siblings and I to keep the bunny (dubbed Heshe and depicted in my profile pic) & our parents’ adamant refusals, my aunt and uncle decided to care for the bunny until they could find her a good home. 

What should I do?

For the past few days I’ve been worrying about the black bunny’s whereabouts. It is truly upsetting that for whatever reason the mother let the bunnies go, she did not think to at least find them good homes. A quick Google search would reveal that domestic breeds such as the Holland Lop are not meant to be released into the wild. Chances of survival are very, very slim especially considering the Holland Lop’s distinction as an exotic breed. Domesticated rabbits depend on their human caretaker to feed them and provide a stable environment for the rabbits to thrive in. Black and white bunnies such as these would stick out like a sore thumb to predators in the wild…. Anyway my question is whether or not I should confront the mom again about the situation. This time I’ll be upfront with her and that I know what her bunnies look like (I may need to phrase that one carefully lol). The downside of this is that it might cause a bit of tension.  

Giving Heshe to Petting Farm/Zoo – Good Idea or Bad Idea?

To my distress, my aunt and uncle have decided to give Heshe away to a petting farm located 2 hours away. (I will find out the name of the place ASAP) I am so upset at the prospect of giving Heshe away and it breaks my heart that my family cannot keep Heshe.  (I’ve also been researching a ton these past days on ways to get around my dad’s dander allergy so advice on this would also be appreciated!!!) Especially since Heshe has been getting more comfortable in the space they’ve given him/her and less jumpy and nervous when we approach. I’ve read up on a bunny’s emotional needs, and I feel ‘mean’ for having to break the trust he’s built up and have Heshe transfer homes again.  But I want to put the bunny’s needs first before my feelings, so do you guys think that placing him in a pet zoo would increase Heshe’s happiness where there’s a bunch of other bunnies that Heshe can interact with since his old pal isn’t around?  

Everyone who takes the time to read this extremely tedious post and responds, thanks in advance. Any feedback is much appreciated! 

***I refer to Heshe as a him/her because we are unsure of its sex.  By its mannerisms we believe its a girl!

xx Faith xx 

[LBJ10]

Wow, that is really sad. Unfortunately, people do these kinds of things. I wouldn’t give up on the black one just yet, he might still turn up. They are obviously socialized if the one you have was caught so easily.

Honestly, I would just let the mother know you have the rabbit(s) and plan to rehome them. That’s all she needs to know. My guess is that she doesn’t plan to get any more bunnies since she intentionally set these two free. Hopefully she won’t buy her kids any more animals.

To answer your other question, I guess it depends on what kind of a facility this is. If it is a loving place where the bunnies aren’t actually being tormented by children, then it might not be so bad. It might be better to find a teacher looking for a classroom pet if you are thinking the bunny could be an educational animal. Otherwise, I would simply look for a loving family that would like to give bunny a home. Unless, you can change your parents’ minds. I certainly am not encouraging that since it may end in heartbreak for you (getting your hopes too high), especially if your dad has dander allergies so they may be really set on their decision. Any little sneeze might get blamed on the bunny, which would not be a good situation for you.

[GD29]

This happens to many animals and sometimes you wish you could just bang their owners head to get some sense of responsibility in there.

Call your local animal shelter, releasing a domestic animal into the wild is against the law in most countries. Your family should have kept hiold of the rabbit until legal matters were sorted out.

I would not bet on the lop turning up. My own experience with escaped rabbits is that the lop eared breeds have a much lower survival rate in the wild. The prick eared varieties tend to be none the worse for wear, even in winter, if they escape and you usually get them back.

Lops are more inbred, domesticated and slower. They do not react as fast and are easy pickings.

Still, keep an eye out, you never know. Well done for catching the other rabbit, at least it lived.

[Heshe123]

LBJ10, Thanks for your reply. Should I make an effort to call animal shelters in the area to see if anyone showed up with the black Holland Lop?? This may not be conducive at all, however, since my family wouldn’t be able to claim him/her anyway….It’s been a week since she released them I believe, we can only hope for the best unfortunately :/

xx Faith xx

[LBJ10]

Well, if you call and they say yes, then at least you will know that perhaps he is okay. It has been a week and the more time that goes by, the less likely it is he will be found. I would still keep an eye out just in case though. Poor little guy. =(

[Eepster]

Are your fathers allergies the main thing that is making your parents hesitant to take in the bunnies?

Bunny allergies are very very different from cat and dog allergies.. I’m allergic to dogs, but rabbits are no problem. True bunny allergies are very very uncommon.

My husband is allergic to the timothy hay commonly fed to rabbits, but we just switch to feeding our rabbit a different kind of hay and it’s fine. This is actually really common and most people who think they are allergic to bunnies are actually allergic to timothy hay.

Worst case scenario, if your dad really is allergic to the bunny, she/they could live in an outdoor hutch. It isn’t ideal, I’ve had an outdoor bunny and am much happier with the house bunny situation, but if she goes to the petting zoo she is almost certain to live in an outdoor hutch anyway.

All that said though, ultimately if you are not over 18 yet this does have to be your parents decision.  Responsible parents are committing to being the pets ultimate owner when they allow their children to bring pets into the home. These two bunnies would be in much better circumstances now if their previous family had parents responsible enough to know their own willingness to take over care for them when their children needed help. Those parents should have said “no” to their children.

Your parents are being the much much better parents by saying “no.” Trust me as a parent doing that is hard and painful, but sometimes it’s for the best.

I can’t see any good coming from confronting the neighbor mom who released them. If at some point you know both bunnies are safe and settled into permanent homes, then let the kids know that their bunnies are safe. As bad as you feel about this situation, think about how they feel. They must be heartbroken.

[Heshe123]

Update: Thanks for your replies, all. I am about to call a local animal shelter to see if the bunny has turned up somewhere. Not getting my hopes too high, though

My Aunt told me that the petting farm where they plan to move Heshe to, are now asking for the sex of the bunny (male or female). They were quite clear about preferring male rabbits but said they would still be willing to take in Heshe if he turns out to be a she. The problem that has arisen now is Is Heshe a boy or a girl? So my sister contacted the mom via text and explained the situation to try and get this info but the mom said AGAIN that they weren’t her bunnies and that she was just glad my aunt and uncle has been taking care of them. You can see why I’m frustrated now bc there’s so many variables that have to be considered, does Heshe have a medical history, etc… I’m making this wish in vain but boy would it be helpful for the mom to accept responsibility for her actions. Ugh.

Faith

[LBJ10]

Will the bunny tolerate someone picking him up? You can take a peek to see if there are some jewels down there. Do you know where to look? They aren’t in the same place as a dog or cat. LOL
An absence of boy bits does not guarantee it’s a girl. But there is no mistaking its a boy if they are there!

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