More than 20 domesticated rabbits suddenly turned a New Orleans car lot into an impromptu petting zoo, and not in a cute way. The animals were reportedly released near a Broad Street car dealership, and volunteers say the rabbits are now scattering across the area, breeding fast and facing a daily risk of being hit by cars. Rabbit rescue groups and the Humane Society of Louisiana have scrambled to trap, vaccinate and sterilize the animals before the situation turns into a full-blown colony. Organizers say at least one rabbit was already heavily pregnant when captured, which raises the odds that multiple new litters are on the way.
According to WDSU, the owner told Humane Society staff that he released the rabbits near Mossy GMC Motors on Broad Street because he considered them livestock and said he sometimes catches them to eat. Humane Society director Jeff Dorson told the station that volunteers hope the New Orleans Police Department or the Louisiana SPCA will pursue neglect penalties, while rescue teams focus on corralling as many animals as they can. WDSU reports that one rabbit taken in by Lola and Friends Bunny Rescue of South Mississippi was pregnant with 10 kits, many rabbits have already given birth at the dealership site, and some bunnies have been run over and killed.
State law and enforcement
Louisiana criminal law treats abandoning an animal, or failing to provide food, water or shelter, as a form of animal cruelty that can bring fines or jail time. As summarized by the Animal Legal & Historical Center, La. R.S. 14:102.1 specifically includes anyone who "abandons any animal" in its definition of cruelty. That legal framework gives rescues a potential path to seek enforcement, although whether charges or fines are ultimately brought often depends on which agency takes the case and how aggressively it is pursued.
Rescues stretched thin after shelter cutbacks
Local shelters and rescues say this surge of loose rabbits is hitting at a tough moment. Capacity is already strained after recent service changes at the Louisiana SPCA, which left partner groups fielding more calls and cases. Local coverage of the SPCA changes has noted that the Humane Society of Louisiana and other nonprofits have seen a spike in requests and have limited resources to respond. Earlier this year, FOX 8 reported that partner rescues were inundated after the shelter trimmed services. That backlog helps explain why volunteers and small rescues are front and center in the Broad Street trapping effort, and why organizers are pushing hard for community help.
How to help
The Humane Society of Louisiana says it has launched a fundraising push to cover traps, vaccinations and spay or neuter surgeries, with initial medical costs for the rabbits already captured expected to top $1,000, according to WDSU. The Humane Society's website lists ways to donate or volunteer and provides contact information for people willing to foster animals or help with transports, and it urges would-be helpers to see the Humane Society of Louisiana for details. Rescue organizers also stress that anyone who spots loose rabbits should contact local rescues rather than trying to release animals into the wild, since domesticated rabbits typically cannot survive on their own.
Rescue crews say they plan to keep trapping in the area over the coming days while advocates push for enforcement under state law and line up follow-up veterinary care. Anyone with tips, foster offers or donation questions is encouraged to reach out directly to the Humane Society of Louisiana or to local rabbit rescue groups that are working on the case.
