Rabbits take over neighborhood after breeder let domestic rabbits loose

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, (CBS) —  A Florida neighborhood is having to deal with a growing group of domestic rabbits on its streets after a breeder illegally let hers loose.

Between 60 and 100 lionhead rabbits have taken up residence in the yards of a suburban Fort Lauderdale community.

The lionheads have a thick fur and fearless nature that make them unsuited for life outside in Florida with its heat and predators.

Residents are trying to raise $20,000 to $40,000 needed to rescue them and get them into homes.

The city of Wilton Manors has agreed to give the residents time after first saying the rabbits would have to be exterminated.

“One of the neighbors moved a couple of years ago, and she just left her rabbits in the street when she moved. They were not spayed or neutered, so they started multiplying. And now there’s probably 50 or more rabbits in the neighborhood,” Alicia Griggs said.

The heat is also a concern for the rabbits.

“Meanwhile, they’re not supposed to be in the heat because they could have a heat stroke when the temperatures get above 85 and there’s predators all around that can kill them. And we’ve found dead rabbits all over the place. You know, I’ve seen several dead rabbits. So they need to be rescued and rehomed,” Griggs said.