A large number of rabbits were discovered in a long-term hotel in Schaumburg, Illinois.
Animal control found 47 rabbits in a woman’s room this past weekend, who was keeping them as pets, WGN reports. They were rescued from the undisclosed extended-stay hotel, where cleaning services had been suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The woman first had three rabbits, one of which was neutered. She later acquired a female and male rabbit and brought them to the hotel. Over the course of the last 15 months, the rabbits procreated, leaving her with 47 animals, varying from one week old to 2 years old.
She was convinced to give the rabbits up by Red Door Animal Shelter of Chicago. Another organization, One Tail at a Time also got involved, sharing a photo of the state of the hotel room. In the image, the floor is covered in what looks like wood chips. The rabbits are everywhere, as are their feeding bowls and the owner’s possessions.
“When I started a dog rescue in 2008, I don’t think, ‘Hey, there are 40+ rabbits in a hotel room, can you help?’ was ever a question I was going to be ready for,” One Tail at a Time’s Facebook post read. “But here we are. 10 rabbits richer and with some invaluable lessons. Rabbits, reproduce just like they say they do. So well-meaning people can end up in a really scary mess in a really short amount of time.”
The org also offered some tips and lessons for anyone interested in owning a pet rabbit and wrote that anyone who wants to help out can purchase items from their wish list—or can even foster a rabbit.
