Released on: September 20, 2007, 11:14 am

Press Release Author: Indiana House Rabbit Society

Industry: Non Profit

Press Release Summary: Indiana HRS Helps With Care, Secures Rescue Placements for
100 Rabbits in Louisville Rabbit Confiscation Case

Press Release Body: Background:

Indiana House Rabbit Society was contacted by Metropolitan Animal Services
(Louisville, KY) on Tuesday, Sept. 4th requesting help. The shelter confiscated 100
rabbits on Friday, Aug. 31st and needed rescue placement as they do not have
facilities to house so many rabbits. Without rescue placement, they would need to
euthanize the majority of the rabbits for lack of space. Indiana HRS offered on-site
assistance to care for the rabbits while the court case was decided.

Indiana HRS and EARPS Respond to Shelter Plea:

Three Indiana HRS volunteers living nearby have been assisting Metropolitan Animal
Services with daily care: cleaning, feeding/watering/providing hay. This assistance
was critical to meet daily dietary needs for the rabbits and set-up the weekend
teams for success.

Indiana HRS and EARPS sent volunteer teams on weekends to catalogue rabbits in the
confiscation, identify medical conditions requiring treatment (almost 35% of the
rabbits were labeled \"urgent\"), medicate rabbits, and improve living conditions as
additional cages became available.

There are 79 Dutch rabbits, 15 Flemish Giants, 3 Netherland Dwarfs, 2 Havanas, and 1
Angora.

Court Case Decided:

On Tuesday, September 18th, the Judge awarded custody of the rabbits to Metropolitan
Animal Services. The \"owner\" is allowed to retrieve 25 rabbits.

Indiana HRS and a local rabbit-savvy veterinarian networked to secure rescue
placement for all rabbits at the shelter! Many thanks to the following groups for
stepping up to help out: Indiana HRS, EARPS, Kentucky Shelters, Wisconsin HRS,
Wisconsin Shelters, St. Louis MO HRS, Chicago HRS, Arkansas HRS, North Georgia HRS,
and Indianapolis and Kentucky rabbit-savvy veterinarians.

Indiana HRS was able to successfully negotiate transfer of intact rabbits to groups
with mandatory spay/neuter polices. Many of the rabbits are ill; this will result in
the best outcome for the rabbits. Ill rabbits will have the chance to recover and
healthy rabbits will be the comfort of home-based foster care to remain healthy.

Request for Assistance:

Please consider a monetary or supply donation to one of the rescue groups rescuing
confiscated rabbits from Metropolitan Animal Services. Some rabbits are ill and will
require extensive medical treatment before they are healthy enough for spay/neuter
surgery. Please contact the above rescue groups directly for specific requests.

If you would like to support Indiana HRS, consider donating supplies for our
quarantine foster care facility in Louisville, KY. We are in desperate need of the
following:

Newspaper

Large Cages

Large Dog Crates

Pet Pens

Water Crocks

Large and Extra Large Litterboxes

Pelleted wood bedding

Monetary donations are needed to defray veterinary expenses. Many rabbits will
require veterinary treatment prior to spay/neuter surgery. Donations can be made at
http://partners.guidestar.org/controller/searchResults.gs?action_donateReport=1&partner=networkforgood&ein=65-1228024


Web Site: http://www.indianahrs.org

Contact Details: House Rabbit Society, Indiana Chapter
PO Box 421746
Indianapolis, IN 46242-1746
(317) 767-7636
info@indianahrs.org