RICHMOND AUTO MALL TO PARTNER WITH PRECIOUS LIFE ANIMAL SANCTUARY FOR RABBIT RELOCATION
For Immediate Release: November 14, 2012
(Richmond, BC) – The Richmond Auto Mall will be partnering with a sanctuary in Washington State to provide a safe refuge and ongoing care for at least some of their feral rabbits.
The Precious Life Animal Sanctuary in Sequim, Washington, has agreed to host a colony of the Richmond rabbits and the Richmond Auto Mall has generously offered to help support the bunnies financially for the next five years.
The deal still has to receive approval from the provincial government. It’s illegal to trap and possess the rabbits without a permit, although it is legal to trap and kill them according to the Fish & Wildlife division of the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. The government policy at this time is that they will only approve applications involving the export of the feral rabbits out of the country.
The sanctuary is already hosting a colony of rabbits from the University of Victoria rescued in 2010/2011. The Auto Mall is applying for a permit in conjunction with Rabbitats, one of the rescue groups responsible for the UVic rescue.
The number of rabbits will depend on support from the pubic. The rabbits need to be spayed and neutered and transported to the sanctuary. Some additional construction is also needed at that location. The Auto Mall will match the funds raised towards their rabbit relocation project. There is an estimated 300 rabbits on the Auto Mall grounds in hedges and lawns around the dealerships. Dozens are being killed by cars and predators, but the numbers remain high as the abandoned pets and their offspring continue to breed.
Rabbitats and the Auto Mall are continuing to explore additional options for the Richmond rabbits.
Donors, volunteers and adopters can contact the Auto Mall’s Bunny Hopline at 604-273-3243, email we-care@richmondautomall.com or Rabbitats rabbit rescue at rabbitats@gmail.com, or visit www.rabbitats.org.
Tax deductible donations for Americans (and Canadians with US income) can be made directly to the Precious Life Animal Sanctuary (see: www.preciouslifeanimalsanctuary.org/help.php). Donors are asked to indicate the donation is for the RICHMOND RABBITS and to notify one of the above email addresses of all donations to ensure the funds will be matched.
Tax receipts are not available for Canadian donors donating to the Richmond Auto Mall Cares program at this time, sorry!
In the event that more than enough funds are donated and matched to help relocate the Auto Mall rabbits, donations will be redirected to feral colonies elsewhere in Richmond.