Santa Ana Animal Services officers rescued 61 rabbits living in terrible, overcrowded conditions on Wednesday at a one-car garage located at the 400 block of S. Broadway Street in Santa Ana, according to the O.C. Register.

Santa Ana Police Officers were at that location on a different matter when they discovered dozens of rabbits that lived four or five to a cage, including nine pregnant bunnies.

The City of Santa Ana has an ordinance about pet rabbits.  It allows a maximum of only four rabbits per home.  Here is the ordinance:

Sec. 5-6. – Permit required for large number of fowl, etc. 

(a) No person shall keep or maintain more than four (4) in number of any fowl (excluding roosters which are not permitted within the city per section 5-6.5 hereof), rabbit, or any combination thereof, on any premises within the city unless a special permit has been issued, subject to the rules and regulations provided in this section and the approval of the city department of planning and development services. Permits may be revoked on any grounds which would be sufficient to deny issuance. Any person aggrieved by the action of the animal control officer in denying or revoking a permit may appeal to the city council as provided in chapter 3 of this Code.

(b) Any person keeping or maintaining more than four (4) in number of fowl (excluding roosters which are not permitted within the city per section 5-6.5 hereof), rabbits, or any combination thereof, on any premises within the city shall be subject to the following rules and regulations:

(1) All buildings, pens, runs, or other places where such fowl and/or rabbits are kept shall be located at least thirty (30) feet from any residence, the owner’s excepted.

(2) The floors of every such building shall be smooth and tight and maintained so as to prevent accumulation of filth or water.

(3) The floor area of every such building where the fowl and/or rabbits are given free run shall be of sufficient area so as to allow for two and one-half (2½) square feet per fowl and/or rabbit.

(4) All dead animals, manure, refuse, feathers, and other waste matter shall be removed within a reasonable time, not to exceed forty-eight (48) hours, or kept in fly-tight containers until such removal.

(5) If runs are provided and the formation of ground therefor is such that it cannot be kept in a clean and sanitary condition at all times as required by the state or local health department, the floor of said runs or pens shall be constructed of cement, said cement to be laid so as to prevent rodents from entering thereunder.

(6) Rabbits must be kept in hutches so constructed as not to allow the urine to pollute the ground, and provided with floors that are removable for the purpose of cleaning and disinfecting; no box hutches will be permitted.

The rabbits were taken to OC Animal Care in Orange.  As luck would have it they are having a Adopt a Shelter Rabbit Month throughout February as part of Shelter Rabbit Month.

During the Month of February OC Animal Care will be offering FREE Spay/Neuter & Microchip on all rabbit adoptions.

With all of the adorable rabbits available for adoption, you’ll be sure to find some bunny to love! Please click here for more information.

OC Animal Care is located at 561 The City Drive South in Orange, CA. Call them at 714-935-6848.

They are open daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and on Wednesdays (Extended Hours) from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM.  They are closed on holidays including February 12 and 16.

Directions from the 22 Fwy:

• East bound – Exit at The City Drive and turn left, OC Animal Care will be on the right
• West bound – Exit at The City Drive onto Metropolitan and turn right.  OC Animal Care will be straight ahead. Turn Left at the light and make an immediate right into the parking lot.

Directions from the 5 Fwy:

• North bound – Exit at Chapman Ave. and turn left.  Turn left at The City Drive.  Make a U-turn at the first light past the 22 Fwy.  OC Animal Care will be on the right.
• South bound – Exit at State College/The City Drive and turn right.  Make a U-turn at the first light past the 22 Fwy.  OC Animal Care will be on the right.