From the front, it may look like any other Vancouver house.
Around the back, however, some adorable critters need forever homes.
Olga Betts runs Vancouver Rabbit Rescue and Advocacy (VRRA) out of her residence in the Dunbar area. The volunteer-run nonprofit charity was formed in 2003; it became the Vancouver chapter of the House Rabbit Society in 2009.
VRRA educates people about rabbit care. It also shelters neglected or abandoned bunnies while offering foster and adoption services.
Betts says many people still have misconceptions about keeping rabbits as house pets.
"People think they're good pets for kids and they're not, they're good pets for a family where the adults want the rabbit. They are a 10-year commitment of care."
Rabbits are popular pets throughout the year, even more so during the pandemic.
"A lot of people are adopting rabbits, but it really worries me what they'll do when it's normal again. Because kids are in school, parents go back to work, and once again, nobody is caring about the rabbit," explains Betts.
Abandoned rabbits lead to rising numbers of the critters running wild in Metro Vancouver, particularly in Richmond. Betts suggests alternatives like city park sanctuaries instead of culling local populations. She also says better public information about rabbits, provided by municipalities, is needed.
The organization is always looking for donations and volunteers to help keep the facility clean and move rabbits to outside exercise pens.
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