I think I am finally ready to share...(update-sentenced)

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Bad Habit

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 22, 2012
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One of my rabbit "friends", to whom I had sold a number of rabbits, was raided for animal hoarding three weeks ago.

News reports went from a few dead rabbits to 150 dead rabbits that they were essentially removing with a shovel at the end of it.

They're thankfully not mentioning the fact that she was a breeder, probably because she never managed to get her rabbits to breed(either they didn't mature before they died, or they were malnourished and unable to conceive).

The woman refuses to talk to me - I tried to be a friend and tried to offer help, whatever. She ignores my texts, emails, phone calls. I've given up, I've made it very apparent that I just want to talk to her and hear her side of it and try to help. She can contact me now if she wants to talk to me.

I had seen her 5 days before the raid, went on a road trip with her and sent her with some rabbits. She lied to me about the rabbits I had previously sold her, as well as about her pup she had recently gotten - said they were all doing great.

I've been just sick about the whole thing. Driving myself crazy. Going to the counselor two times a week for the past few weeks. Random crying fits.

I sold this woman 29 rabbits and a ferret.

Dexter - a ferret I bought and then sold, thinking I would give him a good home but he freaked the rabbits out. I met her because a mutual acquaintance set up the sale.

Alice and Haymitch - harlequin lionheads, Alice was a girl I took in who's family had become homeless and didn't want her to live in her cage while they found a new place to live. Haymitch was a buck I'd bred, the last kit I had from my first lionhead buck Dobby.

Buttercup, Sheldon and Charlie - three of the 4 velveteens from my first litter.

Astro, Avalon, Alabaster - three of the 5 polish from my first litter.

Bonnet, Finn, Quinn, Santana and Santana's 7 kits - All gone at the same time because I was sick of the velveteens. I considered keeping Finn and Quinn, but sold them to her last minute because I didn't want to deal with their messes anymore(velveteens are very messy rabbits).

Splash and Lisa - harlequin does, though Splash was given to someone else and is alive and well. **I have spoken with this person and confirmed myself that Splash is alive and well**

Robin - a little black polish doe I picked up for super cheap. I literally only bought the doe because of the price, and I bought her full brother so had to sell one of them.

Snow, Kenya and Kenya's three 12wk old kits - these are the ones that left 5 days before the raid happens. I've been told they're in another location and are alive and well, but I don't know if I can believe it.

Batbun and Anya - Robin's brother and the last kit I had from my only polish litter. Anya had giant donkey ears so I didn't want to keep her, and my chocolate polish buck was better built than Batbun. These are also reportedly in the same location as the lionheads. They left on the same day as the lions as well.

I also want to spare a thought for Petrie, the broken orange velveteen buck I borrowed from her for breeding. He was supposed to breed the doe and leave, but he stayed for 2 weeks because he had no interest in breeding at first. He was underweight - skin and bones - and she said she had just gotten him. I wormed him and fed him up, giving him oats and BOSS, daily updates to her on how he was doing and what I was doing with/for him. I feel awful for sending him back, he was such a sweet rabbit.

I tried to contact the rescue involved, the humane society in her area and the OSPCA, none of them would give me the time of day, though they all wanted my name and address once I told them that I knew the woman involved in the case and had sold her rabbits and was trying to find out about those rabbits specifically. Obviously I did not give them that information.

I think this is the most awful situation I've ever been part of, and it just makes me feel sick, and dirty, and betrayed. I'm very seriously considering giving up breeding the small breeds, or simply restricting myself to pet only sales. I don't know that I can continue to breed and sell rabbits when so many were sold into such a horrible, short life because of me trusting someone.
 
That is so sad - I can't even imagine the feeling of guilt and betrayal because so many of your rabbits went into her "care". I hate the word "guilt" and what it implies - step by step, you did your homework, desired only good living conditions and had the best of intentions for your rabbits that you sold, and in the end had to trust what the woman told you. There are so many times in this world that we are required to take a leap of faith that someone we are dealing with is honest and shares your intentions - at that point responsibility belongs to that person, as does any guilt to be felt.

I can totally understand not wanting to sell any more into potentially bad situations - it's why I can't even bear the thought of selling any rabbits as pets, or even breeding stock unless I can be convinced they are going to someone with ethics and some semblance of a conscience! Even then, my comfort level in trusting someone with a living creature is fairly small. However, we have had two dogs in the past that we rehomed due to kids not having time for them (sports, clubs, social life), and both times those dogs have a much better quality of life and it has turned out well. I think all we can do is our due diligence, listen to our intuition, but then somehow let it go - because once out of our care they are out of our control - try not to own the bad behavior of others!
 
I'm so sorry this happened to you, Bad Habit. There is no way that you could have known about the situation at her home. Even her neighbours had no idea. Hoarders are very good about hiding what is happening and it seems this woman appeared normal and caring. I quite understand you feeling sick about it, but you have done all you can. It's going to take you some time but you will put it behind you in time. Glad you're getting some therapy to help the healing. (((HUGS)))
 
I'm so sorry you have to deal with this. I know there's nothing worse than that feeling, time and help will ease the pain. We put so much trust into people and can only try, no one can guarantee but we still try and think on the better side. There are good ones out there that don't lie about how things are and their situation...it will get better just don't give up. Like others said, no way you could've known. At least they are not in that situation any more, its a shame the shelter/rescue place wouldn't listen and let you help or offer your rabbits back since they came from you...shows their true colors about not caring about the rabbits just their bottom line and desire to pull at public's heart strings to me.
 
None of the rabbits who made it to the rescue were mine. I contacted them trying to figure out if it was who I thought it was. I offered to bring them supplies(cages, hay, wood stove pellets, a bag of kibble, etc) and hopefully check out the rabbits to see if I recognized any, but they declined, said they didn't want to associate with a breeder. The Humane Society in that area isn't associated with the OSPCA or the case at all, and the OSPCA investigator hasn't called me back.

Talking to another breeder, she was arranging more rabbits to pick up even as the ones she had at home were dying. I guess she was buying large numbers of rabbits from lots of different people, and she had something like 60 animals(rabbits and cavies) that she was to be getting the weekend after her house was raided.

Thanks for the condolences. I tried to deny it was the person that I thought it was (same breeds, same name, same general area? Yeah, it's just a coincidence....), but couldn't really continue doing that once she was on the news.

I really hope she gets the help she needs. Obviously something isn't right in her head if she thought this was okay behaviour. Hopefully the rabbits she still has(apparently hidden in another location) are being cared for.
 
What a terrible thing to have happened. :eek:

I know you go through a lot of effort screening your potential buyers, but if people are not honest there isn't much you can do.

I know it is hard to get past the feeling that you somehow let the rabbits down by selling them to her, but there is no way you could have known the true situation.

I have faith that the majority of your rabbits have found good loving homes. Try to focus on the happiness you have brought so many people with your rabbits. :encourage:
 
I am so very very sorry this has happened to the rabbits, you, and the other breeders. This is a terrible tragedy for all involved.

I am glad you are getting therapy, that is exactly what you need right now. Hugs and good thoughts being sent your way.
 
I just feel so badly for those bunnies. I was very attached to a number of them, and thought I was sending them to a good life. And I always told her that I would buy back any of them if she didn't want them anymore. It's like she just didn't want anyone to have them.

I'm not entirely sure how they died. I thought starvation initially, however another breeder said that she was told there was a carbon monoxide leak there a few months ago. I was never told of this if there was, whenever I'd ask after my rabbits I was told they were fine.

I think what bothers me the most, though, is her poor little dog. She had just gotten a puppy around Christmas time, told me all about him. He was found dead as well. I had seen her 5 days before and asked after the rabbits I sold her, and her puppy, and everyone was doing well. I'm very attached to my dog, he goes just about everywhere I go, everyone loves him and he's basically a part of me. That anyone could get a puppy, let it die and let it rot?? It breaks my heart.
 
How could anyone do that? No one normal could, but a person with severe mental illness or major substance abuse problems can lose touch with reality. I know this is particularly horrible for you because you knew so many of her animals, but I think everyone who knows about this case is bleeding right along with you, Bad Habit, even though we were not involved. It's just very, very sad.
 
How heartbreaking.

Hoarding is often a manifestation of mental illness, and one that is often hidden very, very well. There is no way you could have known what was happening, and there is no way you bear any of the responsibility for what happened to your former rabbits. At the time, I am sure you believed the animals were going to a good home. That wasn't true, but the lie is totally on the shoulders of the other person, not you.

If I were in your shoes, I would be devastated at the loss of the animals. And I would be sad for the other person, and what they must be dealing with. But I wouldn't feel guilty. You did what you could with what you were told. Please remember that.

*hugs*
 
Are they going to euthanize the rest of the animals since they don't want to "associate" with a breeder? I am sorry to hear your animals were mistreated and died. It is so hard to screen for good buyers, you did the best you could given the information you had.
 
They actually are classifying the woman as a hoarder, not a breeder. I don't know that she ever actually had a litter of kits born to her rabbitry. I don't think they intend to euth the animals, they've all gone to foster homes, as far as I know, and will be spayed/neutered and placed in homes.

It's a hard situation, all around. I spoke with her mother for a while, and was told that the mother has the lions I gave the woman, and is holding them "until her daughter gets everything straightened out". I was asked for pedigrees for the kits, I told the woman to tell the new owners to contact me if they want pedigrees. I am not comfortable with the idea of the rabbits going back to my "friend".
 
Not the ones at the rescue, I don't think. But her mom has Snow and Kenya, and 3 of Kenya's kits. And the mom intends to give her the lionheads once "everything is straightened out".
 
The mother is enabling the hoarder??? :shock:

It's taken me a long time to post on here because I've had an awful time trying to come up with words, and I know whatever I say would be scant comfort. Frankly, the whole thing still leaves me feeling rather stunned.

But, I've been really impressed by how much patience and dedication you have shown in trying to do what you know is best for the animals, and thank you for sharing what you learned about all this with me and everyone on here.
:grouphug2:
 
Bad Habit":3hg9ak86 said:
Not the ones at the rescue, I don't think. But her mom has Snow and Kenya, and 3 of Kenya's kits. And the mom intends to give her the lionheads once "everything is straightened out".
Click to expand...
That's what I thought you said. :( That is horrible! I'd be just about physically sick knowing they were going back to her! As I imagine you are! :(
 
Usually when people get their animals confiscated for neglect they aren't allowed to have any others for several years at the least, if at all ever again. Considering she had a dead puppy there I doubt she will be considered competent enough to care for even a limited number of animals.

Hopefully her mom is more stable than she is and will provide the rabbits good care while she has them. :clover:
 
That is AWFUL.

I'm so sorry Bad Habit :cry:

No breeder wants their animals to end up neglected. There is only so much we can forsee/ try to avoid.

Because of the high frequency of people just scrolling to the bottom and contacting me to just ask me the questions that could easily be answered by reading the FAQ/Sales Agreement page, I've lost a lot of faith in responsible pet owners. (I had one lady literally say LOL I just kinda scrolled to the bottom) Sorry. There is no LOLing when making an educated decision to bring a live animal into your home. I just think you are a bimbo at that point. Good ones are out there, but it seems like you have so go through so many people.

I now require a Request Form to be filled out that is basically an open book test of my FAQ/ SA page. There essentially shouldn't be any surprises when their rabbit needs a nail trim, molts (I recommend they test themselves and their family for allergies. I don't like "we have allergies" be the reason they come home after their first molt) , grows to 6+lbs and so on.

You had no idea this lady was doing this and I'm upset to see they won't "associate with a breeder".

I really hope her mother is aware of her daughter's condition. There is obviously something very wrong with her :(

((hugs))
 

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