Update: October 10, 2012

The Santa Cruz rescue is well under control at this time. A few of the rabbits were adopted through The Haven at our shows, a few more were adopted from the shelter, several went into foster care & others went into rescue groups including 13 The Rabbit Haven took in. The Santa Cruz shelter has a high but manageable number at this time.

Thank you to the shelter advocate, Leslie from driving up to get rabbits spayed/neutered. We still have many more left to do.

Thank you to the donations we received we were able to provide all supplies for these new rabbits and continue to support those at the shelter and in rescue. Our appreciation for FOWAS, FOSCCA & private donations that helped us cover the cost of immediate supply and several spay & neuters plus foster set ups as well. The House Rabbit Society grant is helping us support both Santa Cruz and San Jose rescues with adoptions services, foster support, medical care and other expenses related to the two large groups we have taken in. PAWS of San Jose is assisting with special need medical care required by several of that shelter rabbits. Together we were able to put these rescues together and take care of most all of the rabbits involved.

The Santa Cruz shelter system will most likely continue to have issues with high rabbit numbers given the reduction of space at their facility and the increased number of incoming rabbits that need shelter in Santa Cruz County. At least for now, we have helped with the large SC rescue group, hopefully easing their load. There are no longer any rabbits in the sally port – all allowed spaces are filled with rabbits inside the rabbit room upfront at the Santa Cruz Shelter.

Many thanks are due to Beecher photography for going in to take all the photos of the new rescue group and to Haven volunteers who helped go into the shelter to settle, clean, and exercise Rabbits while they stayed in the Sally port at shelter, and to the SC shelter staff and advocate who made our work at the shelter seem easy.

Update: September 18, 2012

Santa Cruz county animal control officer, wonderful Todd, called the Haven on Sunday September 16 late in the afternoon to notify us that he had confiscated 27 rabbits from a backyard breeder and to request our assistance. Lula also called and we discussed the needs of these rabbits and discussed shelter needs to care for the rescued rabbits in the back at Santa Cruz shelter. The Haven began posting for rescue, foster support and cleaning help late Sunday evening.

Haven Staff came in first thing on Monday morning, September 17, to the SC shelter and met Lula to get started implementing our service plan. Six Haven volunteers provided services for these rabbits today. Rabbits were evaluated for injuries (none noted), Rabbits were sexed, groomed, and set up in the sally port housing and fed. Haven photographer, Zack Beecher came in to take photographs of every rabbit including every baby in the large litter. Then the Santa Cruz Sentinel reporter came in to photograph rabbits at shelter and he mentioned that a full story will run tomorrow SC sentinel.

All rabbits appear to be healthy. One large female that has a litter of 12 , may not be the only mohter of this group. The litter appears to be 3 and 4 weeks of age and varies in shape and breed. It appears that multiple litters were placed with one nursing female. We are taking care of this mother and her babies now as she was spayed today and cannot nurse. Her kits require hand feeding. Most adult females are most likely pregnant as they were housed with males, so we have offered our assistance with spay neuter. We are waiting to hear back from the shelter about what they need. Of course we are working on immediate rescue for all of the remaining rabbits.

Supplies brought in to Shelter Monday for Rabbit Confiscation:

1 Bale Orchard grass
1 Bale alfalfa
2 50 pounds bags of 1-adult 1-baby
3 36" X PENS- Variety OF CROCK dishes
12 litter Boxes - new Med sized. LITTER - 40 POUND -.
Greens: Romaine & kale - More coming tomrrow AM
Towels 20 - 50- 100 coming in Tuesday TO BE PICKED UP FROM RABBIT HAVEN BY LESLIE
One bundle of sheets incoming Tuesday (for play areas) as above. If other supply is needed WE WILL PROVIDE.

Rabbit Haven Services (4 volunteers):

Volunteer cleaning, TLC, grooming ; Organization & purchase of needed supply; Photography ; Rabbit nail trim, scent gland cleaning
Dematting of one new angora rabbit (housed in front)- Came in with significant matting
Rabbits all sexed and documentation put on their kennel cards
All Rabbit exercised.

Rabbit Haven will work to obtain Rescue, spay neuter and adoption services.

Love to all our volunteers. We had four today - WE need at least two people for tomorrow

Please call me asap to set your time. Call 600-7479 OR LESLIE AT 588-6676

Thank you to Kim for her generous donation to help us with supplies for these rabbits. xoxox Thank you Todd, Lula and Sarah for making the day seem easy.

Love,
Auntie Heather

September 16, 2012

Large group of rabbits rescued from back yard breeder

Sunday September 16 at 3 PM, 27 rabbits (babies, adolescents and adults) discovered living in very poor conditions were confiscated from a backyard breeder in Watsonville. Rabbit Haven is working with the Santa Cruz Animal Control officers to assist in the provision of the care for these rabbits. We need everything from litter boxes to hay, pellets, dishes and litter. And ...Very important... we need people to help clean, exercise and care for these rabbits now while they wait to rescue, and or adoption. The shelters were already over full prior to this rescue. Now with 27 additional rabbits to care for, our help is needed urgently. It would help to move the babies out into foster. There are 10-12 babies, gold and white. They are adorable and still filled with joy in spite of their miserable beginning.

Animal control officers rescued the rabbits and brought them in to the safety of the shelter. They are being housed in the sally port at the Santa Cruz Shelter. Not ideal conditions, however, so much better than where they were. Deepest thanks to Todd of the Santa Cruz Animal control for his good work! Rabbit Haven will begin to work immediately to secure supply, rescue, shelter rabbit care support and spay neuter services. Soon we will need to focus in on adoptions as well.

Zack and Laura of Beecher photography are going out to photograph the rabbits Monday, we will have photos to share Monday. Rabbits will be available for rescue immediately and available for adoption post spay and neuter.

Rabbits will need care right away- Call me right away to schedule a time when you can go in to clean cages, do nails, and sex rabbits. Let me know if you can pick up needed supply at either general feed and Seed or SV feed. ASAP. We need Hay, (alfalfa, and grass hay), litter from Sv feed. Then transport will be needed to spay neuter service centers and to rescue organizations or to foster sites. If you can help with supply, (hay rolls, bags of both young and adult pellets, hay bale and toys, Call me ASAP. We are going over tomorrow to determine sex of these rabbits, to do nails and to assist in evaluating any injury the rabbits may have. We will be setting up a spay neuter transport soon as well -there are many way you can help. Call, email or donate so we can buy supply or pay for foster set ups, supplies and spay/neuter. Donations can be made via PayPal, or you can send a check in the mail.. We can use any and all donations right now to help get this situation under control. We will post updates as we get them.