Nuisance or neighbors?: Rabbit population explodes in a Spokane neighborhood

SPOKANE, Wash. — A horde of rabbits is wreaking havoc on a neighborhood in Spokane.

According to the Spokesman-Review, between 25 to 75 rabbits are tearing apart gardens in the Hillyard neighborhood and lining the sidewalks with poop.

So where did these rabbits come from?

A resident told the newspaper that about seven years ago someone abandoned a group of pet rabbits that were given as Easter presents.

The rabbits currently roaming the neighborhood, according to the Spokesman-Review, are black, white and sandy in color, which means they are descendants of domesticated rabbits.

“It’s a nuisance for the people that live with it,” Hillyard resident Gary Dennis told the Spokesman-Review. “It’s like visiting a zoo when it’s not your neighborhood.”

Neighbors say they have asked the mayor, the city’s code enforcement department, their elected representative and Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Services (SCRAPS) for help.

Other jurisdictions in Washington have set guidance for how agencies should respond to issues with domesticated animals besides cats and dogs.

Spokane; however, does not.

Some residents who live in the Hillyard neighborhood say they find the rabbits endearing.

“They’re an integral, absolutely integral part of the community for like, four blocks in every direction,” Lennox Richardson told the Spokesman-Review.

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