Over 150 rabbits rescued from hoarder's home
Humane Society rescuers in Arizona found 166 bunnies in a shed with six to eight inches of feces, stacked on top of one another.
Over 240 rabbits have been placed for adoption after being confiscated from a home by the Pierce County Sheriff's Department and the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County in Washington.
Pierce County Animal Control reached out to the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County,
A year-long investigation was launched regarding the household and a "concern [for] the number of animals" being cared for, according to Dr. Jennifer Bennett, chief veterinary officer at Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County.
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On Feb. 16, Bennett and her team assisted in the confiscation of the rabbits that were kept in the Puyallup, Washington, home. The situation was assessed based on the rabbits' "health, hygiene and housing conditions," Bennet shared.
A total of 246 rabbits were removed from the Pierce County home, as the number of animals were too much for one person to care for.
"That was the largest intake of animals from one individual confiscation that this shelter has experienced in a very long time," Bennett noted.
"The rabbit housing density was very concentrated," she added.
The veterinary team, animal services team, foster team and adoption services all came together to help with the confiscation.
While on site, Bennett and her licensed vet tech went through a triage assessment for each rabbit to determine which of them "were stable to go back to the shelter," she said, adding that the team made sure the rabbits that were in need of special medical care did receive it.
The team at the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County went through different phases from medical and daily care to foster and adoptive homes.
"The rabbits overall had health conditions that are fairly commonly seen in crowded conditions or where you find large groups of rabbits," Bennett said.
Since the confiscation on Feb. 16, the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County has been helping these rabbits find a new home.
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About 50 rabbits have been adopted out, and 80 rabbits are in foster homes in Tacoma and Pierce County.
The remaining rabbits are still in the care of the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County and other partner organizations who have "stepped up to the plate [to] help place rabbits."
"It's been really neat to be a part of this effort because we have had a lot of our animal loving network come together," Bennett said.
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"They really understood the need for us to have partnership to get the task done," she added.
A total of 246 rabbits were confiscated from a Pierce County home following a year-long investigation by the Pierce County Animal Control. (The Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County)
In a blog post, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department noted that the case was animal control's "largest seizure of animals."
"During the search warrant 95 rabbits were found in 2 sheds in the backyard of the residence," the department wrote." "The rest of the animals were inside the home in numerous cages."
"In all 246 rabbits were taken from the home," the post continued. "This is too many animals for 1 person to care for and the seizure of the animals was essential to making sure they could be cared for properly."
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department for comment on whether charges will be filed.
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