Pet rabbits are widespread in many Canadian municipalities, and the spread of pet rabbits that have returned to the wild is causing problems for municipalities in the Vancouver area, as animal care services no longer have enough places to accommodate these mammals.

Only a few shelters and animal welfare organizations accept these rabbits, forcing their owners either to euthanize them or release them into parks.

Chelsea Rafos, the rabbit care manager at The Bunny Cafe in Vancouver, says, "People are desperately trying to give their rabbits away right now."

This cafe is a shelter for rabbits and is "a therapeutic place to interact with rabbits that can be adopted." It does not accept rabbits directly from people who want to get rid of them.

Chelsea Rafos says, "They are domestic rabbits, so they should not be outside."

The more rabbits there are in city parks, the faster they multiply, according to Sorel Sydeman, founder of the Rabbitats Rescue Society.

She said, "The number of rabbits is currently rising," pointing to rabbit colonies in Jericho Beach, Kitsilano, Surrey, and a golf course in South Vancouver.

Ms. Sydeman added that the largest number of free-roaming domestic rabbits is in Richmond, estimated at around 1,000 rabbits.

Sorel Sydeman explains that the number of wild rabbits in the city located south of Vancouver has been increasing for about ten years.

One of the first interventions by her organization took place in a parking lot in Richmond. Nearly 125 rabbits were removed from the hedges separating the parking spaces.

For several years, animal care services in Vancouver did not have enough places for rabbits. This means they cannot accept wild rabbits or domestic rabbits, according to a city spokesperson.

The Richmond Animal Shelter, operated by the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), accepts rabbits.

According to Sorel Sydeman, "The SPCA and [animal care workers] have very little experience in dealing with rabbits."

Two years ago, the province amended the wildlife act to improve the management of rabbit colonies. It prohibited people from releasing domestic rabbits.

The province also removed the need for a license to sell, possess, and export rabbits to facilitate the capture and transfer of rabbits by rescue organizations.

However, Clay Adams, the marketing and communications manager for the City of Richmond, confirms that rabbits remain wild animals under provincial law. He says this limits potential large-scale interventions by the city.

Sorel Sydeman’s organization has called for mandatory sterilization programs in municipalities to prevent the spread of wild rabbits. There is no rabbit sterilization program in Richmond or Vancouver.