Cashew is a small, grey and white rabbit that fits comfortably in shelter volunteer Ann Gingras’s hands.
The animal was just two days old when it arrived at Adoption Lapins Sans Abri (ALSA), a shelter in Quebec City for abandoned or neglected rabbits.
It was left out in the cold with its mother and the rest of her litter.
“Bunnies are the third most popular animal after cats and dogs, but are the first at the abandoned rate,” said Gingras.
Gingras is one of about 45 volunteers at ALSA.
The non-profit relies on volunteers, proceeds from its boutique and donations to operate.
By mid-December, there were 20 bunnies at the shelter, with more than 70 with foster families.
Even though this may seem like a lot, Gingras said it’s nowhere near the record numbers that have hopped through the door.
“No, no, far from that. We’ve already reached a peak of 140 bunnies, here at the shelter,” she said.
Gingras said people often don’t realize the level of care that pets need.
Rabbits, for example, need to be sterilized at six months old, a procedure that can set owners back a few hundred dollars.
If rabbits don’t undergo the procedure, they can be aggressive, not use a litter box, and females are at high risk of developing uterine cancer.
“The people just dump their bunnies either in the shelter and the SPCA or on the streets where they condemn them to a slow and painful death,” said Gingras.
In the shelter’s nearly 20 years, Gingras said they’ve rescued bunnies from miserable conditions where either breeding has gotten out of control or rabbits have had serious health problems.
“We’ve had rabbits, yes, that have had their eye removed, that have malformations of their teeth. They have to have their teeth pulled out,” she said.
At ALSA, rabbits can be found regularly munching on pellets or leafy greens.
One bunny named Captain Crunch enjoys eating kale.
They love to eat and are very social creatures, said Gingras, adding that they should not always be confined to a cage.
“Rabbits don’t live in cages. They need freedom. They need place and space to run and to jump and to have fun and to interact with the family,” she said.
In 2024, there were 500 adoptions at the shelter.
Gingras said potential owners must fill out an online form and pay an adoption fee of $200 for one rabbit, or $100 for a pair, to encourage them to be kept together.
Every bunny that leaves ALSA is also sterilized.
“We really want them to have a better life,” said Gingras.
Cashew will eventually be up for adoption, just like his mother, who has already been given a second chance in her forever home.
