Victory: PETA Prompts Rabbits' Rescue!

Welcome news! Today,
many, many rabbits are being removed
by Calvert County, Maryland, officials from what could be called a sham “sanctuary,”
Bunny Magic Wildlife & Rabbit Rescue, Inc., in Lusby. The seizure was
prompted by evidence gathered by PETA of systemic—and sometimes fatal—neglect
of animals at the “rescue,” following a whistleblower’s tip-off.

Many
neglected rabbits’ nails were overgrown. Some caught on wire cage bottoms while
others curled dangerously toward the animals’ sensitive feet.

Disgusting Filth, Disease, and Death

PETA submitted
evidence and a detailed complaint to Calvert County Animal Control and State’s
Attorney Laura Martin’s Office, which has opened a criminal investigation into Bunny
Magic, run by President Carole Van Wie. We thank law enforcement for acting
promptly and PETA Investigations
& Rescue Fund donors for providing us with the resources needed to follow up
on the whistleblower’s tip.

PETA found that
Bunny Magic consisted of little more than Van Wie’s garage, which reeked of ammonia,
and a dark shed that was overrun with rodents. It had no paid help to care for its nearly 150 rabbits and other animals. Van
Wie deprived rabbits of needed veterinary care and left contagious animals in contact
with others, risking the spread of disease. Photographs show that Bunny Magic was
little more than a hoarding
facility, amassing far more animals than it could properly care for.

Dead rabbits crammed
into a freezer

Scores of rabbits kept in cramped, stacked cages

Rabbits (who
are fastidiously clean animals) were unable to avoid stepping in their own feces, which was allowed
to accumulate for days

One neglected rabbit,
Rockette, suffered with a severely twisted neck, struggling to stand up on her
own; she was denied nursing and veterinary care and left to languish and
defecate on herself until she finally died. Another rabbit, named George, who
had a months-long respiratory infection that filled his throat with pus, was
rescued from Bunny Magic before PETA met with officials but could not be saved.
A veterinarian recommended that George be put out of his misery.

What You Can Do

The rabbits are being rescued only because a courageous
whistleblower reported how horrified he or she was by Bunny Magic, reminding us
that we should never be
silent when animals are in trouble.

Please be sure, before adopting any animals, that you’re ready to make a lifetime commitment to caring for them. Beware of hoarders
pretending to operate so-called “no-kill” rescues or sanctuaries who
promise to care for unwanted animals but instead will only subject them to
prolonged suffering and a prolonged, miserable death. If you take an animal to
a shelter, make sure it’s
operated responsibly.

Victories like this one are made possible in part through
the generosity of PETA Investigations & Rescue Fund supporters. To learn more about this vital fund and how
you can support the rescue of more animals, click here!