62 rabbits found crammed in Santa Ana garage

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- A woman in Santa Ana was apparently hoarding dozens of rabbits inside a small detached garage.

An officer was in the 400 block of south Broadway on Tuesday night on an unrelated call when a dozen rabbits were spotted on the side of the house.

Officers alerted animal services that there was a possible rabbit hoarder at the location.

Animal services went into the detached garage, which is approximately 200 square feet, and found a total of 62 rabbits. Some were as young as three days old.

The woman, identified only as Blanca, had set up lights to keep them warm, and others were in cages. A number of the rabbits were pregnant.

Blanca lives in the garage with the rabbits. In Spanish, she said she started out with just one rabbit and let it go outside, and then the rabbit made a mate, and that led to more and more rabbits.

Only four rabbits are allowed per household. She said she wanted to ask for help, but someone told her she would be arrested and that the rabbits would be put down.

"There is a pretty overwhelming smell inside," said Sondra Berg, Santa Ana Police Animal Services supervisor. "The garage is a very small room, and you have about 35 rabbits in there, a lot of them crammed into cages."

Animal services says the rabbits look fairly healthy, but they will be taken to O.C. Animal Care to be assessed.

There is limited space at O.C. Animal Care for rabbits, so if anyone wants to adopt a rabbit, call (714) 796-6426.

City News Service contributed to this report.