RESOLVED: 119 lops in Tennessee

[naturestee]

I'm on the HRS email list, and I just got this:

Dear friends,

Bartlett Animal Control in West Tennessee seized 119 rabbits Friday
evening from a breeder in a cruelty case. Evidently the rabbits are
purebred show lops in "unusual colors."

The shelter is desperate and needs help with placing these rabbits.
They are not spayed or neutered (but otherwise appear to be in good
health) and if a veterinarian were to offer their services with fixing
some of them, that would be welcome.

But beyond that, they just do not have the facilities for long term
housing for over 100 rabbits (they seized 30 dogs as well). If you can
help by taking in rabbits AT ALL, please contact the shelter directly
at (901) 385-6484. If you are a veterinarian and can help with spay
neuters, please ask for Kim Scheu, the shelter director, who you can
also email at kscheu@cityofbartle tt.org.

 

[JadeIcing]

I was just about to post this.

 

[Cynnba01995]

*CROSSPOSTING*




The HSUS is assiting ashelter in the Memphis area with trying to place 119 rabbits seized in a cruelty case. The rabbits were raised for show and appear to be in good condition. The shelter is not equipped to handle rabbits and they need to be moved asap. If you may be able to help these rabbits [foster, adopt etc.]contact:




Leighann McCollum
TN State Director
The Humane Society of the United States

Office (615) 469-0171
Mobile (615) 734-9537





link to the bunspace.com forum:

[url]http://www.bunspace.com/forum_thread?tid=2453[/url]

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Gosh, I wish so much that I were closer I really want another lop, they're hard to find in Alaska. Wish there were something I could do to help, those poor rabbits! Do you know what kind of lops they are?

 

[Cynnba01995]

I just saw naturestree post.

I think this is the same situation...sorry for double posting!!

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Just merged the two threads, no worries!

 

[Dublinperky]

I wish I lived closer so I could help!

 

[juliew19673]

Can we arrange for a "mass" transport" of these bun on RO? Willing to help offset the cost if others are willing to take one bun collectively in.. PM me if you can foster or help to get one bun to another that can and I'll pay the cost.

 

[gentle giants]

I would like to help in some way. If I can get any adoptions this weekend at my event, I will take one or two, if they can get here.

 

[BlueFrog]

I will talk to Catnap. Adoptions are up, and the odds are good that if we can get a train going, they could take in at least a few.

 

[tonyshuman]

Any French lops? My BF has been looking for one and by a spot of luck we will be driving through Tennesee Sunday-Monday. He might be interested in a female French Lop.

We also *might* be able to take a few upwards to IL, WI, but our car is quite full with our own bunnies and hamsters. Just in case you need help getting 2-3 bunnies on up, not that the shelter situation in our neck of the woods is great lately either. We could also keep a few overnight or so.

 

[gentle giants]

Well, I have one lady that is most likely going to adopt this weekend, so I should have a space. Let me know.

 

[tonyshuman]

**cricket noises**

Any news?

 

[TinysMom]

If you read the Bunspace link - it looks like at least 35 rabbits have gone/are going to other rescues - some are even going to Connecticut & Massachusetts (sp?). There are five rescues so far that are taking in rabbits or helping in some way. Also - the National HRS is helping with finances.

I'm not saying this isn't still important and urgent - just noting that they are getting some help....

 

[BlueFrog]

Catnap has offered their assistance, I just haven't had the opportunity to follow up. Are there any current plans for a train thisaway (IL) or is this something I should investigate?

 

[tonyshuman]

Well, I'm headed IL-ways tomorrow from Georgia and could take 2 carriers with, but I don't have bunspace so I don't know what else is up.

 

[Becca]

Oh dear thats a lot of buns :shock:

 

[Striker]

:shock:no:?thats just crazy:crazinessand i want every single one of them.

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Is there anything at all I can do? I flew Skyler from Pennsylvania to Alaska, so my mind can't help but wander to the idea of doing it with another rabbit.

 

[naturestee]

Looks like it's been handled! I got this email today:

Dear friends,

I wanted to give you one last update on the Tennessee rabbits.

One week ago, Bartlett Animal Shelter in West Tennessee seized 119
rabbits, mostly lops, from a breeder in a hoarding case. The shelter
was desperate and did not have the facilities to care for 119
rabbits, on top of the 30 dogs who came from the same breeder, and
all the rest of the animals in their care. They reached out for
help.

Within a couple of days, at least half a dozen groups pitched in to
help by taking rabbits (if I left any group off of this list, please
forgive the oversight):

Young-Williams Animal Center in Knoxville (a public shelter
themselves), North Georgia HRS, Cape Fear HRS, the House Rabbit
Connection of MA/CT, the Arkansas Pet Rabbit Network, the House
Rabbit Network of MA, Wild Rescue of Texas, and Alabama EARS/HRS.

Transport has been arranged by groups ranging from Bunny Rescue of
Nashville, the House Rabbit Connection, the Humane Society of the United States in Tennessee, and the Bunderground Railroad.

Alabama EARS and National HRS both have contributed funds to help
with spay/neuters.

On top of the above groups, Patricia Brainard of RabbitwiseMemphis and the Bunderground Railroad was instrumental in organizing much of the help, as was Kathy Burke, HRS educator in Greenback, TN, and Deb Young, HRS educator in CT.

We just learned today that the last group of 20 rabbits will be
leaving the shelter tomorrow for WildRescue in Texas. This isn't the
end of the road for the bunnies or the rescue groups who are taking
them, but 90 rabbits have been saved in just a matter of a week by
the actions and cooperations of dozens of people.

(Click here to see a news story with video on the 10 lucky rabbits
who made it to the Young-Williams Animal Center:
http://www.wbir. com/news/ local/story. aspx?storyid= 62609&catid= 2 )

House Rabbit Society has paid for the care of some of the TN rabbits
with funds generated from our Emergency Rescue Fund
(http://www.rabbit. org/rescue/ Grant.html ). You can help us help
cases like this in the future, by donating to the fund at
http://www.rabbit. org/hrs-info/ joining.html . (Put emergency rescue
fund in the comments field.)

One last note:

Rabbits are being bred, sold, surrendered to animal shelters, and
euthanized every day in this country, and rabbit rescue groups and
animal shelters large and small are fighting to care for too many
rabbits with too few resources. Yet it's nice to see that when a
small shelter, ill equipped to handle a large rabbit crisis, reaches
out for help, that even with strapped resources and local demands,
groups like those listed above can still reach out and help.

Thanks, everyone.