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Richmond Auto Mall creates 'rabbitats'

The Richmond Auto Mall is moving to address its rabbit overpopulation issue by creating "rabbitats" to house the abandoned pets and their feral offspring, as well as identifying properties that could take the bountiful bunnies.

The Richmond Auto Mall is moving to address its rabbit overpopulation issue by creating "rabbitats" to house the abandoned pets and their feral offspring, as well as identifying properties that could take the bountiful bunnies.

In a news release issued this morning, auto mall association general manager Gail Terry said rabbits are dying daily on the auto mall's road and that a period of heavy construction at the mall threatens to make it even more dangerous for the rabbits.

Terry said, however, that government red tape has obstructed the auto mall's plans.

"A domestic pet rabbit is reclassified as wildlife as soon as he/she is abandoned. 'Fluffy' can't be recaptured without a permit, and permit applications are only supported with a very, very narrow criteria and an awful lot of red tape," Terry said.

The auto mall association is moving ahead with preparing locations to take the rabbits "while the politics sort themselves out," Terry said in the release.

"The mall will also be putting out a call for homes to adopt these rabbits and land to host 'rabbitats' while concurrently working on permission to do so."

- The Vancouver Sun

Read more at www.vancouversun.com.