104 Rabbits Were Saved By Peterborough Humane Society & Animal Welfare Partners

More than 100 rabbits have a new lease on life thanks to the Peterborough Humane Society and various Animal Welfare partners who came together to rescue and rehome the rabbits, which were found living in deplorable conditions earlier this summer.

On July 11th, Ontario SPCA investigators and a veterinarian visited a Peterborough residence to assess the care being provided to rabbits on the property. They found 104 rabbits—ranging from newborns to adults—living in a shed in conditions that were both unsafe and unhealthy. The rabbits were examined and transported to the Peterborough Humane Society for further veterinary care and evaluation.

Some of the rescued rabbits

Once in the care of the Peterborough Humane Society, preparations began to secure suitable foster homes and, ultimately, forever homes for this big bundle of bunnies. A team of dedicated partners stepped up to assist the Peterborough Humane Society with the care of these rabbits, including Rabbit Rescue Inc., PetSmart Charities of CanadaTM, the Renfrew SPCA, the Oakville & Milton Humane Society, the Upper Credit Humane Society, the Orangeville SPCA, the Kawartha Lakes Humane Society and PetSmart Peterborough.

“It was truly an inspiration to see so many organizations coming together to give these animals a chance at a new life and the Peterborough Humane Society could not have done it without their support,” says Andrew Fraser, Executive Director, Peterborough Humane Society. “There were quite a few heroes in this animal welfare story, as so often is the case.”

These are the last two rabbits still available for adoption...

In addition to the challenge of trying to find homes for this many rabbits—there are only two left for adoption now—the Peterborough Humane Society was also faced with the cost of spaying and neutering the rabbits.

They applied for an emergency relief grant from PetSmart Charities of Canada and were provided over $13,000 in funding—enough to cover the cost of spaying and neutering the entire group of rabbits. Locally, the PetSmart store in Peterborough has been instrumental in changing the lives of animals in need. For many years, the Peterborough Humane Society has featured adoptable pets in-store through dedicated space within PetSmart Charities of Canada’s Adoption Centre.

This is an awesome Hollywood ending with these organizations working together and collaborating to save these rabbits who are now finding forever homes.

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