I spoke with Joanie of the Monterey County shelter and she asked me to post this notice to the rescue community. The shelter needs our support. They are open to rescue, adoption, and inter shelter transfer. Approximately 70 rabbits have been rescued from a field where they were dumped in Salinas. The Monterey County shelter is responsible for these rabbits. Currently 62 are in one foster site. (See attached photo) 8 rabbits who needed immediate medical attention are at the shelter. This is a very small shelter. They usually have only 4 rabbits at a time. They do have a sally port and they will be bringing the rabbits to the shelter this Friday. There, they may need to place the groups into the three runs at the shelter. They are considering other housing options.

Staff from the Monterey SPCA are coming over on Friday to look at the rabbits and may possibly take some at that time to their shelter. The Monterey County shelter currently has no vet as he is on vacation. So there is no simple way to spay these rabbits except at the $100.00 rate charged by a local Vet hospital. We have to assume that most of the females are pregnant as they have been living in a large group, males and females together. Spay assistance is desperately needed.

The shelter needs volunteers to help care for the rabbits; they will need more supply if they keep the rabbits there or send them into foster homes.

So far several rescue groups have agreed to take out 8-10 rabbits - This leaves 60 rabbits that need rescue, foster and adoption. Rabbits will be available on 1-13. This is when their stray hold period is up. Please contact us to set up foster or to rescue -contact the shelter to adopt.Email - Director@therabbithaven.org or call 831 600-7479 Thank you to SaveAbunny, Harvest Home and Rabbit Ears for rescue so far. Time is of the essence in this rescue as the shelter simply does not have space and the females most likely will be pregnant. The shelter is stuck without medical spay support at this time. They are working to obtain funding and support for spays now. Joanie of the Monterey Co shelter seems committed to getting these rabbit out to rescue, to adoption and to safety. However they have such limited staff, limited financial resources and no vet! They also have a very high rate of animal dumps at their shelter so space for animals is a huge issue.

Contact me if you have any ideas to share regarding low cost spay which is a high priority now. I have offered to pull together needed supply, and whatever they need. Volunteers are needed at the shelter to help care for the rabbits according to Joanie -Volunteers who want to help care for these rabbits at the shelter may contact Joanie at 831 769-8860 Bruno-CompagnoJL@co.monterey.ca.us or you may contact me for connection to local area rescue. 831 600-7479. I can pull together a volunteer list and then turn it over to Joanie or her delegate at the shelter.

I am working to see if the shelter can get spay neuter done on these rabbits -I have requested spay assistance at low or no cost. If you decide to rescue a rabbit Call me to work out details re low cost spay in Fremont.

Watch for more updates. The Rabbit Haven will be offering technical assistance and related shelter or rescue needs. Call me at 831 600-7479 for more information. Email at Director@therabbithaven.org

If you can rescue even one rabbit, it will be a big help - If the shelter can get the support they need, medical care, spay/neuter, rescue and adoption, they may be able to let the rabbits stay at the shelter. The shelter is open to our support.

Love to everyone – Auntie Heather, Director, The Rabbit Haven www.therabbithaven.org