Change.org - Abandoned animals

People are abandoning their domestic rabbits at Sylvan Oaks Library in Sacramento. These animals are not equipped to be in the wild—ending up with untreated diseases and injuries. Not only is this unethical, but the situation will become a financial liability when the population of these abandoned rabbits grows—increasingly becoming harder to manage for the city. Sign the petition to save these rabbits by allowing rescues and animal control to shelter bunnies at the Sylvan Oaks Library in safe spaces for rehoming. Tell Sac Officials: Rescue the Bunnies at Sylvan Oaks Library 1,302 have signed Save the Citrus Heights Bunnies Now’s petition. Let’s get to 1,500!

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**Are you a Sacramento County resident or affiliate with an agency or organization? Please send in your public comment here!** We call on the City of Citrus Heights and County of Sacramento to:  Allow rescues and animal control to capture, neuter, spay, and shelter bunnies at the Sylvan Oaks Library in safe spaces for rehoming. Prevent future dumping of rabbits and all other pets 1) by fixing signage posted at the park that mistakenly identifies a domestic rabbit as "wild" 2) by posting signage prohibiting the dumping of rabbits and all other pets, and 3) by installing cameras to discourage dumping of unwanted rabbits and pets.  The situation at the Sylvan Oaks Library contributes to the vast problem of domestic rabbit overpopulation, abandonment, and euthanasia in shelters. This rabbit populations can become a conduit for the deadly Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus outbreak (RHDV2), which can destabilize wildlife populations. People who have tried to rescue the rabbits have been verbally harassed, physically threatened, and also given warnings by the police to leave the rabbits alone. Animal control in the area have also confirmed that they’ve been instructed by staff in the area not to catch the domestic rabbits.  The situation must be contained before it grows into a larger problem and financial liability for city taxpayers. It is a tragically mistaken belief that a companion rabbit set loose will join a wild rabbit family. Instead, these rabbits fall victim to dogs, cats, raccoons, raptors, coyotes, and automobiles. This is what we are seeing happening at Citrus Heights. Locals and residents have reported: Rabbits with injuries and untreated diseases.  Rumors that rabbits are caught to be food for pet snakes, dogs, and homeless people.  New rabbits continually being dumped. One resident observed 10 new rabbits in one day. The security guard at the library also confirmed there were new rabbits. On June 22, one of these rabbits was ran over by a car and had to be euthanized at the Atlantic Street Pet Emergency Center.  These rabbits are scientifically classified as domestic pets, not wild rabbits as a precious local article wrote (a major case of misinformation). They cannot withstand outdoor conditions and living. There are countless examples in cities where abandoned domestic rabbits quickly became an ethical and financial liability. In Las Vegas, a small population of dumped domestic rabbits grew to over 1,200 rabbits. In Canada, the City of Canmore spent over $350,000 to manage the domestic rabbit population in their town. Sign the petition!

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