Velvet, a shy Rex, had been surrendered to a local SPCA because she was "boring" and the kids wanted a kitten.  She had been caged most of her young life and at the SPCA she also wasn't given much chance to hop around. A volunteer said she was becoming depressed and that she needed a home with lots of room to exercise and play.  We provided that but she tended to spend a lot of time just sitting and observing the activities of the other bunnies.  At times she showed interest in new toys or the garden, but in general seemed content with her own company.  We enjoyed several years with her until she passed away.  No post-mortem examination was done. 

The woman who called asked if we could please take Buffy as she didn't want to bring her to the SPCA.  Apparently Buffy liked chewing wires and the husband couldn't keep her out of his office. It's the same story time and time again, people just don't commit to looking after their pets, and if they become a bother, out they go.  If they're brought to the SPCA, they often don't stand much of a chance.  We took Buffy in, and about a month later Kiela was saved from one of the high-volume, high-kill branches of the BC SPCA.  She had a case of untreated ear mites which had resulted in permanent head tilt.  An immediate friendship was struck up when we introduced our latest rescues and gave them a second chance.

A family in our neighbourhood was moving and one of their friends told me that they were looking for a home for their rabbit.  I spoke to a young boy who said his bunny was eight years old and couldn't come with them.  He added that she didn't like being played with and that sometimes she was aggressive.  I took Flora in, and sure enough she had a fear based aggression.  She continually lunged and grunted and I just had to watch myself when approaching her.  Cause of death a year and a half later was probably uterine cancer which had spread to the brain.  There was a parallel change in her behaviour at the same time we were given that diagnosis.  Her mammary glands were also full of fluid.

Corby and Noddy didn't have a good beginning in life.  They were taken from their mom at four weeks old and given to a pet store.  Kept in a tiny cage with no room to move around and staff who didn't have a clue about their needs, they existed for another month or so before we were told to go take a look at them.  An employee said she thought the manager would let me buy them "for cheap" and to come back on her next shift.  I did, and at that time she said she said the store was being "closed down", she was out of a job, and to take the rabbits.  Shortly thereafter the business did close.  

Advertised on a message board outside a local pet store was information on a rabbit that needed a new home.  I contacted the person and was invited to come over and take a look at the bunny.  She was going to university and said she no longer had time for Benji.  Her parents weren't interested, either.  How sad it is that that people give up their companion animal (pet/s) so easily.  These creatures are dependent upon us, yet our treatment of them is appalling.  Luckily for Benji, he found a lifetime home with us.  Likewise, so did Thumper, a trusting little fellow who gave back so much to us.  We were fortunate to share many years together. 

It breaks your heart time after time when you hear yet another story of an abandoned pet.  Tebby, a gentle little bunny, was surrendered after five years because the couple were moving back overseas.  They had completed their schooling here and felt the opportunities were better if they returned to their country of origin.  Molly, a two-year-old was given up because the person had evidently developed allergies.  Allergies, moving, a new baby, the kids have lost interest, we're getting a new puppy - we hear it all the time.

Stanley Park has been a favourite spot for people wishing to get rid of their unwanted domestic rabbit.  One of our earlier rescues came from a mother and daughter who were walking one of the trails.  They said a friendly brown bunny started following them and when they returned he was still there.  They decided to pick him up and bring him home.  They phoned us and asked if we could kindly take him in. We met at a local vet clinic and this little fellow was turned over to us.  After Nutmeg was neutered he joined the others, spending many a happy year with us, enjoying the good life.

Max, Zack, and Mo-Mo were all impulse buys.  Bought through pet stores which contracted with commercial breeders and then surrendered by their owners to their local SPCA, these cast-off bunnies were feeling the stresses of being confined to tiny cages. In our throw-away society even sentient beings are considered items to be disposed off when the novelty has worn off.  Putting companion animals to death simply because of a surplus is something we must actively fight against.  Having a pet is a privilege, not a right.

As my husband drove into the SPCA he saw two rabbits sitting in a cage beside the building. Upon inquiry he was told that staff had refused to take the rabbits, and hadn’t noticed that the owner had left them behind. As they hadn’t been logged in we asked if we could take them home.  I had adopted a number of rabbits from this branch previously, but this staff member was obstinate, and refused to transfer them to me.  She actually said I had to wait seven days because she was logging them in as strays.  I later learned from a different employee that another rabbit had lost its life in order to make room for the newcomers.  They were unsterilized and put in separate cages, which took up the table space allotted for rabbits.  Finally, on a snowy day seven I drove down, paid the fee, and brought Moffat and Heidi home.

Zack and Blossom met after we saved them from the SPCA.  All too often rabbits end up unwanted after having being bought as babies from a pet store, a backyard breeder, or from young girls involved in 4H Clubs.  A number of our local breeders are involved with the American Rabbit Breeders Association, and sell their rabbits to others within their network, where they are shown and bred until they become unwanted.  While Zack is a bunny full of curiousity, Blossom hadn't fared well after being surrendered to the Surrey SPCA.  She was depressed and uninterested in her new surroundings, and despite several visits to the vet, nothing appeared out of the ordinary.  However, several months later there was a rapid deterioration in her health and she was euthanized.

Some years ago, a landlord made an unexpected find after having evicted the tenants.  Among the items left behind were aquariums full of mice, some small reptiles, and a rabbit, also in an aquarium by herself.  Other than being a bit on the thin side, a check-up determined that Clover was otherwise healthy.  She made friends with our other rabbits and enjoyed her times outdoors, exploring the gardens.  Pookie also arrived about the same time, after we were contacted by someone who said that neighbours had threatened to leave her behind on moving day.  The kids had completely lost interest and cleaning the hutch had become too much of a chore.

A North Vancouver family was renovating their home and had put their three rabbits in an enclosure on the front lawn.  Within a few days two of them had escaped to a wooded area at the end of the street.  Bunnykins was then put in a tiny cage at the end of the driveway.  Residents, the letter carrier, and visitors all saw her sitting there, month after month.  Finally we were notified of the situation, and on a rainy evening we went and picked her up.  The sad reality is that this is not an isolated case. Domestic rabbits are abandoned by heartless humans all the time.