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75 Rabbits Taken To Humane Society After Owner Dies

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Dozens of rabbits have been rescued from a local home.

Their owner loved and cared for the rabbits, so this isn't a case of neglect. Rather, a case of a family not having anywhere else to turn for help.

One by one, the rabbits were brought into the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society Monday. All were rescued from a home near Grove City after their owner passed away.

"You don't see pet rabbits getting out of control like that," said Joy Braunstein, executive director of the Western PA Humane Society.

Seventy-five rabbits, to be exact. Seventy-one were taken to the Humane Society in Pittsburgh, and the other four were taken to a shelter in New Castle.

"The sad thing is the father really loved these rabbits, and it's obvious," said Suaz Forsythe with Rabbit Wranglers. "The rabbits are well-cared for. Just with the amount of rabbits there are, I think that's where the difficulty came in."

Forsythe received a call from the owner's daughter saying the rabbits needed help. Rabbit Wranglers brought them in to the Humane Society Monday so they could be cared for immediately.

"They'll get vet checked, washed, nails clipped, animal ID number, sorted out into groups to go to the different rescues," Braunstein said.

Some of the rabbits are sick, and it looks to be just the males.

"A lot of these things can be fixed with antibiotics," Forsythe said.

Forsythe says the males were separated from the females in a building connected to the owner's home. They're between one and six years old.

"We had a situation that got out of control in six months," Forsythe said. "You can get up to 75 rabbits in just six months."

A lesson for anyone who owns a rabbit or might consider adopting one.

"It speaks to why you need to get your rabbits spayed and neutered," Forsythe said. "These all came from just a male and a female."

Only four to six rabbits will remain at the Humane Society. The rest will be sent to other local shelters and foster homes.

Officials with the Humane Society say they'll be put up for adoption pretty quickly. They're also looking for donations to help with the medical expenses.

You can go to the Humane Society's website to make a donation.

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