Neighbors in Chula Vista are frantically trying to save dozens of pet bunnies someone recently dumped in three spots in Chula Vista, including Discovery Park.
Some of the domesticated bunnies have already been killed by coyotes, rescuers said.
“The rabbits deserve better than that,” Wyatt Phillips, 12, said, as he sat in a folding chair at Discovery Park Wednesday night waiting for one of the bunnies to go into one of several humane traps set near the bushes.
He is one of a handful of neighbors, and rabbit lovers, trying to rescue them.
Some of the people got word of the dumped rabbits through social media, and banned together.
Amy Spintman, with San Diego House Rabbit Society, said the neighbors and volunteers have rescued about 25 of the bunnies, so far.
“We have these humane traps set up, and we are trying to entice them so we put a few vegetable leading up to it,” Spintman said.
The rescued bunnies are being cared for by neighbors in foster homes.
Some are just a few weeks old.
“The oldest ones are probably maybe only four months old,” Spintman said,
“They could be Easter bunnies, yes. They could have started off with Easter bunnies and they reproduced. Maybe they were pregnant already,” Spintman said.
“We think they were probably dumped by the same person around the same time,” Spintman said. "Pet rabbits can’t survive in the wild."
They don’t know what to eat and they cannot escape predators, like their wild counterparts.
Spintman also said the pet bunnies are being attacked by the numerous wild rabbits in the area.
Dumping pets is a crime. Whoever dumped the domesticated rabbits faces up to a year in jail for each misdemeanor count.
If you are interested in fostering or adopting one of the rescued bunnies contact Amy Spintman at the San Diego House Rabbit Society at www.sandiegorabbits.org.
