Stellarton neighbourhood overrun with domestic bunnies
CBC
A group of neighbours in Stellarton, N.S., say they are working to trap several domesticated rabbits that have been getting loose in the middle of town.
Melanie Andrecyk said she spotted her first rabbit in October, which she initially assumed was a lost pet.
But within a few weeks, more rabbits started appearing in the area and people became concerned about their well-being. Andrecyk said the animals are a domestic breed of dwarf rabbits.
"It's just horrible, you know, they're starving, they're cold, they're skinny and they're looking for food," Andrecyk told CBC Radio's Maritime Noon on Tuesday.
She said she believes the rabbits are escaping from one property in town, but nothing is being done about it. CBC News has attempted to contact the owner of the property, but has not heard back.
Last week, Andrecyk and some of her neighbours started live-trapping the animals. They have caught eight and they believe there are about 10 more on the loose. She has taken in four and has been nursing them back to health.
"The bunnies that I have currently, they have scabs all over them. They're underweight. Their coats are kind of dull and not shiny like they should be," she said.
Andrecyk said the rabbits are vulnerable to other animals, including rats, foxes, coyotes and raccoons.
She said the bunnies are likely getting out in search of food, so people in the area have been leaving out carrots, lettuce and apples.
Andrecyk said she wants to get the animals proper vet care, as they need to be neutered and treated for parasites and fleas, but they are considered exotic pets and can't be taken to just any vet.
She said she's doing what she can afford, and what treatment she can provide. She said her goal is to get them fed and healthy, before adopting them out.
"I would love to be able to find them homes that are responsible, that will neuter them, that are aware of their needs, of their feeding, their teeth, maintaining their nails, their ears … I want people to be able to afford them and know that they need more space than just a little space."
Andrecyk said she submitted a complaint to the Municipality of Pictou County, which was forwarded to the Town of Stellarton.
In an email, Stellarton CAO Susan Higdon said the local police department has only received one call about the rabbits and that was in October.
A suspended Moncton structural engineer faces more lawsuits alleging design flaws in buildings that require repair.
Sajjade Tugano has come a long way since he first set foot in Chibougamau, six hours north of Quebec City, in the depths of winter in November 2021.
A national mentor-based hockey organization that helps marginalized youth through the sport is paying tribute to one of its members and youngest coaches.
After months of asking the City of Saskatoon to do more to solve its homelessness crisis, advocate David Fineday took to the stand at city council Tuesday.
A community organization wants to breathe new life into a historic building in Regina.
Some Prince County residents are walking away with more answers after attending Tuesday night's public information session in Albany, P.E.I., on the Wejipek Wind Project.
After just a few months of using vape detectors in a couple of bathrooms, a B.C. high school principal says it's reduced vape use in those areas to basically zero.
Burlington MP Karina Gould gets boost from local young people after entering Liberal leadership race
A day after entering the Liberal leadership race, Burlington, Ont., MP and government House leader Karina Gould was cheered at a campaign launch party by local residents — including young people expressing hope the 37-year-old politician will represent their voices.
Anold Mulaisho was born intersex and wonders where they fit in, in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order for the United States to recognize only two sexes, male and female.
WARNING: This story contains references to suicide.
Subway service is down on Line 1 between Sheppard West and Lawrence West due to a broken power rail, the TTC said Wednesday morning.
A long-term care home in Toronto's Yorkville neighbourhood has cleared one more hurdle to add desperately needed beds to its property, a move that's been praised by housing advocates but opposed by locals concerned about the impact on the neighbourhood.
A Charlottetown resident is calling on the P.E.I. government to do more to protect homeowners after reading about a recent oil spill very similar to one on his Montague property 20 years ago, which he says ruined him financially.
WARNING: This story includes details of abuse.
Two years after Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly declared she was taking the unprecedented step of moving to confiscate millions of dollars from a sanctioned Russian oligarch with assets in Canada, the government has not actually begun the court process to forfeit the money, let alone to hand it over to Ukrainian reconstruction — and it may never happen.
Alberta business and oilpatch leaders are returning home from Washington this week after the U.S. presidential inauguration festivities — and gritting their teeth after a roller-coaster of emotions.
Youth workers in Toronto's Jane and Finch area are flipping the script on negative stereotypes about their communities with a new fundraising campaign that offers anti-bias training in exchange for donations to bolster their programming.
In a sudden move that came late Tuesday evening, city officials rolled out cots and temporarily opened a warm building in east London as frigid temperatures continued.