Connecticut bunny rescue marks 10 years, expands amid surrender crisis
As Easter approaches, a Connecticut rabbit rescue is warning about a growing problem — abandoned pet rabbits.
Leaders at Everybunny Counts Rabbit Rescue say many bunnies given as holiday gifts are surrendered or dumped just months later, contributing to what they call a rabbit homelessness crisis.
The Ellington-based rescue says the number of rabbits coming through its doors has surged in recent years, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We noticed an uptick after lockdown and after COVID,” brand and marketing manager Emily Garth said.
That increase has not slowed, as many owners underestimate the care, space, and long-term commitment rabbits require. The rescue said intakes have already surpassed last year’s total of 152 rabbits — and summer, when post-Easter surrenders often increase, has not yet begun.
“They realize that it’s a lot more work than they bargained for, and they will dump those rabbits outside,” Garth said.
Rescue volunteers say the problem often becomes more visible in the months after Easter.
“Come July, you’ll find Becky crawling through the brush … trying to save rabbits who have been illegally dumped outside, because that’s not a fate that we want any rabbit to experience,” Garth said.
Many of the rabbits taken in by the rescue have been found in difficult conditions.
Diem was discovered in the middle of a road. Fallon was left behind in a trailer after her owner moved out. Ronnie was found alone in a hutch on a farm and has only one eye due to a medical issue. Gaia was found in a dog crate with her two siblings and was later returned after being adopted.
“Normally she’d be running right up to me and super excited, so I think she’s still kind of sad,” the organization’s president, Becky Bernardo, said.
Many of the rabbits are now up for adoption, but staff say new arrivals continue to come in at a rapid pace.
To keep up with demand, Everybunny Counts is expanding its facility by about 2,800 square feet as it marks its 10th anniversary. It will be among the largest rabbit rescue facilities in the Northeast.
“We are still definitely a construction zone,” Garth said during a tour of the new space.
The expansion will include a new lobby, a “bunny boutique,” a sanctuary unit, and an adoption room designed to help families interact with rabbits before taking them home.
“People can sit with the rabbits and kind of get to know them before adoption,” Garth said.
Supporters have already donated nearly $15,000 in less than a month to help fund the project.
“It just keeps you going, you know, that and the adoptions too,” Bernardo said. “We had adoptions this weekend, and it’s always nice to see a bunny that came from a terrible situation go to a good place.”
Rescue leaders said they hope the expansion and increased awareness will help more rabbits find permanent homes rather than be abandoned.
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