BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. (WSVN) — Brevard County is grappling with a growing crisis as pet bunnies are being abandoned with injures and disabilities, leaving them to fend for themselves across the area.
Local rescuers with “Space Coast Bunnies” are stepping in to provide refuge for these abandoned animals, but their resources are stretched thin, and the situation is reaching a breaking point. Ashley Berke, who heads the rescue organization, warns that if the county doesn’t address this issue promptly, rabbits could become the next neighborhood nuisance.
Berke founded the volunteer organization in 2019 and has witnessed the problem escalate year after year. She attributes the issue to people getting rabbits as pets, only for them to be discarded when the initial interest wanes. These abandoned rabbits end up in the wild where they struggle to survive.
Currently, around 30 dedicated individuals are taking in as many rabbits as they can, but their efforts may not be enough to prevent potential chaos in the community. Abandoned rabbits can damage properties, attract predators like coyotes and bobcats, and upset residents.
The rescuers are urging county commissioners to consider ordinances that could limit pet stores from selling rabbits and regulate backyard breeding.
Currently, approximately 70 bunnies are spread across 25 different foster homes in the county, but there are still rabbit colonies out there. Rescuers have reached their capacity, and loose rabbits are likely contributing to the problem by breeding.
“When you have two rabbits that are running free outside, you know, in a very short period, you could have 30 bunnies out there in a neighborhood,” said Berke in an interview with Fox.
For those interested in adopting a bunny or becoming a foster, more information can be found here.
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