Officials warn of increase in discarded pets

If you're seeing a lot of rabbits nowadays, it's not just because they multiply like ... rabbits.

Stephanie Joos, Champaign County's animal control expert, said every year at this time, she sees an increase in dogs, cats and domestic rabbits on the loose, coinciding with the end of the college semester.

"A lot of rabbits are left in their cages," inside or outside vacated apartments, she said Monday.

Her counterpart in Urbana said rabbits have another seasonal multiplier, besides careless students.

Chelsea Angelo, Urbana's animal control officer, said parents like to give tiny bunnies to children at Easter time.

A month or so later, the bunnies aren't so tiny.

"They are a lot of care; you can't just leave them alone," Angelo said. "They're not a low-maintenance pet. And people don't expect them to get to 20 pounds, which they do."

Elmer Fudd's experiences to the contrary, Joos said the abandoned rabbits aren't hard to catch.

"A domestic rabbit usually will get hungry or thirsty and approach you," she said.

Most abandoned pets will go to the Champaign County Humane Society, which keeps the healthiest of them to be saved for, one hopes, a more thoughtful owner.

Joos noted that people could help out by taking their pets directly to the humane society and eliminating the need for spending tax dollars on recovering them.

Champaign County Humane Society shelter manager Kate Meghji said the shelter sees an influx of pets every spring.

"What we see is a lot of students relinquishing their animals," she said.

But some pet owners can be shockingly callous. Angelo said she has found living pets in Dumpsters.

"We have found animals in abandoned apartments. Last week, we had someone who put a pregnant cat in a kennel inside a Dumpster. Fortunately, the garbage man didn't come along before we did," she said.

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