Guelph Humane Society has too many rabbits, and not enough adopters

Staff at theGuelph Humane Society aredealing with a surge of domestic rabbitsand saynotenough people are adopting them.

Adrienne McBride, CEO of the Guelph Humane Society, told CBC News staff have taken in over 90 rabbits so far this year, a significant increase from 2020, when a total of 60 rabbits were surrendered to the humane society in Guelph, Ont.

"We're almost seeing them come in on a daily basis," McBride said.

"What we want to do is sound the alarm bells before we get to a real population crisis for pet rabbits."

McBride says she's notquite sure why they are seeing an increase this year, but suggests it could be a combination ofpeople no longer beingable to care for their pet rabbit,unexpectedlitters, and the fact that the humanesociety sometimes takes in a female that is pregnant.

She said the humane society is adopting the rabbits out in pairs because some of the rabbitsare bonded and need to be adopted together.

The GHS hasabout 18 pairs of bunnies, in addition to rats and guineapigs,ready for adoption.

McBride said the humane society hasa special sale for small animals right now to encourage the community to adopt, but uptake has lagged.

"We're certainly seeing a number of individuals pet owners and rabbit rescues that are becoming overwhelmed withthe number of rabbits in their care ... who are on our waiting list waiting for space in the humane society," she said.

Other animal organizations see similarsurge

McBride adds the issue is not unique to the Guelph Humane Society.

She said humane societies and animal servicesin Windsor and Toronto have reached out to her organization, hoping to transfer some rabbits to their facilities.

"Often we seek out transfers when we have too many of one animal in our care and we look to other partners to see if they have space available," she said.

"We're finding that all partners are really at capacity for rabbits and looking for options. As a collective, humane societies really start to worry when we see exceeding populations in our care, just like we did withcats 10 or15 years ago."

McBride hopes people consider adopting a pet rabbit rather than purchasing one from a breeder.

She also strongly encourages peopleto do their research beforehand if they are considering a pet rabbit.