An investigation is underway after police in Folsom, California, rescued nearly 300 rabbits who were living in poor conditions. Folsom city code allows for two rabbits per household.
Folsom police were attending to another call on the same street when they saw about 100 rabbits outside a home on Friday, according to local KOVR. The animals were removed from the home.
"Going forward, the animal control officer will be working with the family to see why they had that many rabbits on hand and see if there is anything criminal in nature," Detective Donald Rowberry told KOVR.
The rabbits were transported to the Sacramento Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The rabbits are under protective custody and are not available for adoption because they're part of an investigation to determine if this case is an example of hoarding.
The Sacramento Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals received more than 200 rabbits of various breeds and sizes, and have been posting updates on their donation list via Twitter under the hashtag #bunoverload2018.
Many moms and babies brought in during #bunoverload2018 pic.twitter.com/5M5IyG0EK1
— Sacramento SPCA (@SacramentoSPCA) March 17, 2018
In New York's borough of Brooklyn, a hoarder was found guilty in 2016 for abusing 100 rabbits and charged with over 100 counts of animal cruelty.
Rescuers had returned several times to rescue more than 340 rabbits. Brooklyn resident Dorota Trec was sentenced to 45 days in jail, three years of probation, mental health counseling as well as a five-year no-animal order. Trec had to additionally pay $23,000 to the ASPCA "in restitution," while also having to submit her name to the city's Animal Abuse Registry.
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