"Little Guy"

UPDATE: We are so sad to report that the situation with this little guy was MUCH worse than expected. As soon as Lisa picked him up out of the box, she smelled a rotting smell and saw maggots that he had left behind below him. We both immediately rushed to an emergency hospital where the doctor uncovered just what kind of shape this little guy was in. This picture was taken right after his initial exam. H...e only weighed 1.8 pounds (should be a 6 pound rabbit), had pneumonia, incredibly long nails, ear mites and crust all the way down his ear canal and over his eyelids, was dehydrated, had severely labored breathing, could not even lift his head, and in GI stasis. However, the WORST part was that he was covered in maggots, likely from being kept in a small cage (probably outdoors) where flies could easily get to him and lay eggs on him. The maggots were tiny and were all over this little guy's private area. They had infested and infected him so badly that he had infections inside his body and he became neurologically impaired. We were willing to try anything and everything to help with sweet little guy, unfortunately by the time he was found last night by a sweet family, it was too late and there was nothing we could do to save him. We peacefully let him go. THIS is the face of domestic rabbits who are released by people. THIS is the face of neglect and cruelty. You cannot lose that much weight overnight. THIS is the rabbit that is bought on a whim and when people don't want them anymore, they release them to the wild. He simply could not survive outdoors. If he hadn't been rescued by this family, he would have died outdoors- cold, wet, and sick. We are thankful that this family did NOT listen to their shelter (who does not typically have rabbits and told them to release him) and that they contacted us to help. We are deeply saddened that this little guy did not have a chance to be in a safe home where people love and cherish him, but we are happy that he knew love in the last moments he had in this life. ♥

ORIGINAL POST (from 5/2/12): We got 4 emails for surrenders just TODAY! Post-Easter is in full effect...people moving, allergic, no time...the excuses go on and on. The most heartbreaking and urgent was from a family who spotted a domestic lop rabbit in the bushes by their work. Soaking wet from the rain- this poor rabbit could hardly move. They took the rabbit home and were told by their local shelter to LET him/her go (a wh...ole other issue). Thankfully, they knew better and contacted us. It sounds like the rabbit may be injured or sick, and is likely in GI stasis. Our amazing rescuer and foster mom Lisa jumped into action and is on her way to pick up this rabbit now. We hope that with medical attention, forcefeeding, and a safe place to recover, he/she will be ok. Our rescue is always operating at capacity, but we cannot turn our backs on this rabbit. We will post more information and a picture as soon as we can. Releasing domestic rabbits is NOT a way to find them a new home- it is a death trap.