Becknutt
Well-Known Member
"SANTA CLAWS": The Humane Society of St. Lucie County is giving gifts to people who adopt pets in December. BX.
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FORT PIERCE â Think you'd like to have a pet rabbit? Hop on down to the "rabbit ranch" at the Humane Society of St. Lucie County's animal shelter.
Thanks to a donation from Domenic and Ruth Macellari of Vero Beach, the shelter now has a special room and an outdoor play pen for up to 15 bunnies waiting for adoption.
"I call it the rabbit ranch," said shelter director Frank Andrews. "We generally have eight or nine rabbits here at any given time. Obviously, but unfortunately, we tend to get a lot more a month or two after Easter (each year) when the kids who get them from their parents get tired of them. We also get some that people bought at pet shops and, occasionally, at farmers' markets in other towns."
Wild rabbits brought to the shelter are forwarded to Animal Safe Space, a refuge for wild animals west of Fort Pierce.
"The wild rabbits, we don't try to raise and adopt out," Andrews said, "because they should be returned to the wild."
Rabbits make nice pets, Andrews said, "especially for older people. They're easy to take care of, they tend to housebreak themselves kind of like cats do and they like to be loved and petted â most of them, anyway."
Cost to adopt a rabbit is $25, which includes spaying or neutering, which is important because the critters breed like ... well, you know.
The Fort Pierce shelter isn't the only one on the Treasure Coast that has rabbits hop in on a regular basis:
 The Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County typically has six to eight rabbits available for adoption at all times, said Susan Kelly, adoption program coordinator at the society's shelter.
The shelter has a special room for rabbits, birds and "exotics" (including guinea pigs, hamsters and gerbils).
For information, call (772) 388-3331 or log onto www.verobeach.com/humanesociety.
 The Humane Society of the Treasure Coast usually had three or four rabbits up for adoption, said Candice Veach, operations director at the Palm City shelter.
"We get an average of one a week," Veach said, "but we had two adopted out (Monday)."
A local 4-H club helps take care of rabbits when the shelter is overwhelmed, Veach said.
For information, call (772) 223-8822 or log onto www.humanesociety-tc.org
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FORT PIERCE â Think you'd like to have a pet rabbit? Hop on down to the "rabbit ranch" at the Humane Society of St. Lucie County's animal shelter.
Thanks to a donation from Domenic and Ruth Macellari of Vero Beach, the shelter now has a special room and an outdoor play pen for up to 15 bunnies waiting for adoption.
"I call it the rabbit ranch," said shelter director Frank Andrews. "We generally have eight or nine rabbits here at any given time. Obviously, but unfortunately, we tend to get a lot more a month or two after Easter (each year) when the kids who get them from their parents get tired of them. We also get some that people bought at pet shops and, occasionally, at farmers' markets in other towns."
Wild rabbits brought to the shelter are forwarded to Animal Safe Space, a refuge for wild animals west of Fort Pierce.
"The wild rabbits, we don't try to raise and adopt out," Andrews said, "because they should be returned to the wild."
Rabbits make nice pets, Andrews said, "especially for older people. They're easy to take care of, they tend to housebreak themselves kind of like cats do and they like to be loved and petted â most of them, anyway."
Cost to adopt a rabbit is $25, which includes spaying or neutering, which is important because the critters breed like ... well, you know.
The Fort Pierce shelter isn't the only one on the Treasure Coast that has rabbits hop in on a regular basis:
 The Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County typically has six to eight rabbits available for adoption at all times, said Susan Kelly, adoption program coordinator at the society's shelter.
The shelter has a special room for rabbits, birds and "exotics" (including guinea pigs, hamsters and gerbils).
For information, call (772) 388-3331 or log onto www.verobeach.com/humanesociety.
 The Humane Society of the Treasure Coast usually had three or four rabbits up for adoption, said Candice Veach, operations director at the Palm City shelter.
"We get an average of one a week," Veach said, "but we had two adopted out (Monday)."
A local 4-H club helps take care of rabbits when the shelter is overwhelmed, Veach said.
For information, call (772) 223-8822 or log onto www.humanesociety-tc.org