They're cute. They're fluffy. And they'll even watch TV with you for hours on end - yet, bunnies are not the No. 1 choice when it comes to adopting a pet from the New Westminster animal shelter.
According to Nancy Millar, a senior animal services officer at the Ewen Avenue location, five rabbits in her possession haven't found a home.
"Nobody has shown interest in them. People have a tendency to get rabbits on a spur-the-moment basis from a pet store, but then they'll dump them at the animal shelter, so we're not usually the first place people look," she told the Record.
The five-month-old bunnies arrived on Jan. 15 after the owner passed away. A co-worker of Millar's then got creative and dubbed the siblings Bunjelina Jolie, Bun Affleck, Antonio Bunderas and Jon Bun Jovi (a fifth, named Minion, currently resides at Bosley's on Columbia Street).
Known for their friendly demeanor, Millar said the double-coated lions heads are perfect for someone looking for companionship.
"They need to be handled quite a bit. They will run away from you because they are prey animals in reality. We don't recommend them as a first pet for children because they do need exercise; they can't just be caged."
She went on to say the cute cottontails, who generally live anywhere between five and ten years, can be litter trained but will require some supervision if let out.
The price of adopting one of these furry creatures is a $50 donation to cover the vet fees (all five have been spayed or neutered and have identification tattoos). Millar told the Record because the cost to get rabbits fixed is more than $100, staff wanted to make adoption affordable.
As for the other tenants at the shelter, she said things are pretty quiet, with two dogs and four cats in need of a family. There's Chloe (a four-year-old female pitbull) and Duke, a shepherd-lab cross. Meanwhile, Jeremiah (an orange and white short-haired cat) lives next door with Star, Phoenix and Ralph.
When asked why residency is so low, Millar said it seems to be the trend across the board.
"In talking with other shelters, everyone is low right now. It's a good thing, absolutely, but that could change at any given time given the cat situation," she said.
Last summer, eight cats from the same household arrived at the New West shelter, with several of them pregnant. Staff had about 30 felines on their hands when all was said and done. The facility is considered at capacity when there are six dogs and 20 cats.
"I think people say the right things, like 'It was just an accident' or 'I was going to get her spayed but then she snuck out.' But they have the belief system of 'Oh, it's indoors, so it's fine,'" Millar said.
The city is currently looking at re-locating the shelter and upgrading what's necessary. A task force was established on March 2 to look at what kind of budget is needed. Mayor Jonathan Cote could not give a specific date as to when the move would occur, but said it could be a few years.
For more information, visit www.newwestcity.ca.
