North Charleston Rescue Effort – Charleston Animal Society

[Cottontail]

For anyone looking to do some more good this time of year, Charleston Animal Society is in need of bunny pellets and hay. They just rescued 74 bunnies, 32 cats and several dogs from deplorable conditions in North Charleston. Many are malnourished, dirty, fur-matted, with fleas, mites, and lice.   They are working on getting them treated, spayed and neutered; but will need help with foster homes and supplies.

They have both young and old bunnies in the mix, and all breeds and colors; including dutches, angoras, rexes, lops, mixes, etc…

 Locally, Petsmart currently has a sale going on small animal food (like rabbit chows) of buy-2-get-1-free, and it would be a great way to stock up the shelter with what they need. Tractor supply also carries pelleted food and equine-pellet-litter that can be donated easily. 

 If you want to help out and are not local, they have monetary donation available through their website.  Toby’s fund is set up to take care of sick or injured animals brought into their care.  You could also contact them by phone and discuss donations soley to the rabbits’ care as they will need to work with other shelters and vets to get them all spayed/neutered. Currently they are doing what they can but space and funds are limited and they have had to put a temporary hold on taking in more animals until they can treat those that they rescued this week. 

 CAS is open 12-5 during the week and 10-5 on weekends.

Their phone number is: 843-747-4849.   Also, 843-556-7729
They can also be contacted through their website, or on Facebook.

[bunnyflo]

Where did this info come from? Do you know what happened to these rabbits, people are trying to adopt and are being told they were all adopted out in a week?

[tobyluv]

I have a friend who lives near Charleston, who is a cat rescuer and who works with Charleston Animal Society. She had told me about this situation, then emailed me again on January 1 to say that all (72) rabbits were being transported to the Halifax County Humane Society in Florida. She said that shelter would treat them for fleas, spay and neuter them and adopt them out.

[bunnyflo]

The rabbits have been hidden on Farms, no status given, please share the petition.

https://www.change.org/p/joe-elmore…ed-rabbits

[Cottontail]

I apologize for not updating this thread, but the initial post was while the bunnies were still being taken in from the hording situation into the custoday of CAS.

I don’t believe that CAS did anything wrong with believing Halifax and their “partners” had good intentions for the bunnies, but there has been an information block since the bunnies arrived at Halifax and were immediately shipped off into unknown locations. CAS has had no new information since handing the buns over to Halifax except for what Halifax has provided.

The buns never actually went INTO Halifax as they didn’t have room there, so when they arrived they were apparently divided up to their rescue partners (none of which have been really identified) and shipped out before receiving any care there. There have been quite a few people looking into it from SC, FL and some from surrounding states, trying to find out more with no luck. Based on a press release from CAS and statements from Halifax, people have tried reaching out to shelters and rescues in those areas, including humane societies and animal control since officers were mentioned, but no one has seen or heard from the bunnies–and apparently none of those reached had been contacted by CAS or Halifax.

It is a strange situation that–even though there is no evidence of abuse or misconduct–makes a lot of people worry about the bunnies and their welfare.

[tobyluv]

I thought it was rather unbelievable that one shelter could take so many rabbits. My local shelter only has room for 4 rabbits at one time. It’s very disturbing that Halifax seems to be hiding any info on these rabbits. It makes me think that they got sent to bad places and that their fate will be something other than being adopted into good homes.

I just signed the petition that bunnyflo posted a link to.

[tobyluv]

Since I signed the petition, I received an email update today. A Freedom of Information Act request was delivered to the CEO of Charleston Animal Society.

https://www.change.org/p/joe-elmore-miguel-abi-hassan-where-are-the-69-neglected-rescued-rabbits/u/15447030?tk=8CQh_9PaQVKdquXBFDP613TJdiYxe6PP-Y-fAwcez7A&utm_source=petition_update&utm_medium=email

[bunnyflo]

You do not feel CAS did anything wrong sending 70 rabbits to a kill shelter that did not have room for the rabbits who immediately transported them to a Wildlife Center and owner of Predators who in turn distributed them to his friends on 3 hidden farms?  Do you believe they had proper medical care and are adopted in loving homes as stated?  Do you believe CAS is not aware of where they went?

The rabbits were stated to be at Halifax for about 6 hours prior meeting Jason Hoffman, predator owner for transfer.  Not one Rabbit Rescue was contacted in Florida including GRR who is a rescue partner of Halifax.  
There is no evidence the rabbits are alive, cared for, medical care, not being bred or eaten.  Yet the hero’s rescued them and received donations to care for them.  This is Not Acceptable, rescues should honor full transparency and there is no reason to hide animals unless you are hiding something.

[bunnyflo]

Thank you for signing the Petition.

[Cottontail]

I simply meant that CAS was trying to work quickly and was offered help with the understanding and agreement that those helping them would be giving the bunnies the proper medical care and spay/neuter that they should get. Although they could have acted differently they worked as quickly as they could since they did not have the space and the bunnies needed somewhere to go.

I do not advocate the distribution by Halifax to partners and undisclosed locations of the bunnies, nor do I believe that they received the care they should have before being moved a second time. I am aware that no rescues were contacted, and have personally tried to contact multiple rescues, animal controls, shelters and other animal care organizations in Florida with no success of leads–which is greatly disturbing. I worry about the bunnies and have been keeping an eye on this situation, but I do honestly believe that CAS’s involvement and knowledge of the buns’ wearabouts ended when they transferred them to Halifax.

It would be ideal that they help push for open communication and clarification on where the bunnies ended up, but I do not believe that CAS had any ill-intentions in their partnering with Halifax–who offered their help to CAS quickly before CAS made any public statement on the rescue and seizure of the buns. At this point, yes; I think CAS should be involved in finding out more, but I don’t think that they should be vilified until all the facts are known as they are still an active no-kill shelter with little room for even the cats, dogs, and other animals they have at the moment.

Someone needs to answer the questions we all have about the bunnies and why it’s been so difficult to get clear information. Somewhere along the line something has gone wrong, even if it’s only in communication; hopefully not in what we all fear may have befallen the bunnies… I don’t believe that it was initially set out with poor intentions for the buns, but I do believe that it was not handled the best way possible, and I believe that it could have been taken advantage of by either a “partner” or other party that became involved due to the initial desperation to get the bunnies into safe hands. It’s important that we gain facts and not just speculations, and that does require Halifax and their partners open up at least to state officials, if for some reason not to the public, as to where the bunnies went to make sure that they received the proper agreed upon care.

The petition is a good thing, as it brings light back to the issue. I hope that all of the facts come to light and we can find out who has done what they should and who has not. If the bunnies did not receive their medical care and end up in homes as they supposedly did, then someone should answer to it as it was agreed upon from the start that all involved would ensure the buns safety and care to the best of their ability.

[bunnyflo]

Halifax is a Kill Shelter that has no room for more than 3 rabbits any given day.

CAS is standing behind Halifax and if by some Slim Chance they did not know about the farms then Halifax would have violated an agreement and the rabbits would have been returned. You must also be well aware that local rabbit persons were working with HRS and other rescues to help place the rabbits and were shot down.
It is not relevant what you or I believe, the fact is that CAS is Fully responsible for the locations of the rabbits and as stated on one of their sites they have a contract with the County which means they are paid for taking each animal and they also received donations to care for the rabbits. To this day they show no interest to the public in finding the rabbits and they continue to praise Hailfax.

Vilified?
Facilities that take donations and work with Government have responsibilities of being transparent to the public. No question should be offensive or unanswered.

There is no proof the rabbits received proper medical care at CAS or at Halifax.
Sadly this scenario happens way to often when large amounts of rabbits are confiscated and it needs to stop.

[Author]

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