r/extremelyinfuriating 6d ago

Discussion Abandoned bunnies

Went for a walk today at a park near me. I found 3 bunnies, abandoned by a little stream. My God. I usually try to empathize with people, think of a reason for their behavior but this was just madness. There wasn't any water, food or anything near by. This was right next to a busy road! I called animal control and the officer was very kind and informed me that they'd already gotten calls about the poor babes. Turns out, there's a huge problem with abandoned rabbits in this area - this park specifically is known for this.

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u/Unlikely_Variation20 5d ago

I lived with a friend many years back whose neighbors had bred bunnies for some time until people stopped buying them. These morons released their remaining bunnies when they decided they didn’t want to do it anymore. This all happened when my friend was an adolescent, and by the time I lived with him, he was in his mid twenties. (He, his wife & his child lived in what was once his childhood home.)

The neighbors who owned the bunnies had moved shortly after the great bunny release, but the bunnies remained. In the ten years since they pulled that irresponsible stunt, the bunnies multiplied, and now that part of town (especially that specific cul-de-sac) is rampant with what appears to be house bunnies, though most, if not all of them have been wild their entire lives.

All this to say, people, please don’t release any pets. It is so very cruel to the animals, and in many cases they may be invasive. You could end up with bunnies dominating a neighborhood, beating up the local kitties, like what happened in my friend’s case.

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u/THAMRIEL- 5d ago

That's actually a good outcome for the bunnies (bad for the environment). The most common outcome where I live is that you find dead bunnies and bunny parts everywhere A few days after they are released...

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u/Unlikely_Variation20 5d ago

Honestly, you’re right. The bunnies are probably happier in that situation than they were in the hands of the breeders too. They really have taken over that whole area. You pull onto the street, and see dozens of them at any given time (usually at least 3 in each yard).

Oof, that’s a sad but true reality of how most of these cases go. No matter what, either the bunnies suffer or the local ecosystem suffers.