When Sunday’s chocolate has been eaten and all the plastic eggs have been found, a new season begins.
About three months after Easter, Gainesville Rabbit Rescue will face what it calls “dumping season,” said Kathy Finelli, the executive director of GRR.
Among the nonprofit organization’s duties, Finelli said, GRR shelters rescue rabbits and educates owners.
GRR is a non-kill shelter that houses rabbits of different breeds and personalities, such as Kuro, who was named after the Japanese word for “black,” she said.
Finelli said students often miss their pets from home, which leads them to buy an animal they can’t properly care for.
“Whenever Easter falls, about three months after is when those rabbits will sexually mature,” said Finelli.
Rabbits in heat become territorial, she said, causing the females to become aggressive and the males to mark their space with urine.
GRR offers a foster program that covers most expenses, such as a cage, hay, food, litter and medical support, she said. The program also provides foster parents with companionship free of long-term commitment.
Because GRR is a non-kill shelter, it has limited space, and the program creates room for other rabbits in danger of being euthanized at a facility or killed on the streets.
Joe Richichi, the president of UF’s People for Animal Wellness, joined PAW members on the Plaza of the Americas on Thursday to highlight issues facing rabbits.
“Over 80 percent of rabbits don’t live until their first birthday,” he said.
Contrary to popular stereotypes, Finelli said, many students are valuable to GRR.
“For us, the student population has been a blessing because we do have a lot of students that participate in our foster program,” she said.
