Rescued rabbits relocated to Bunny Café

A team of volunteers and a unique café have teamed up to give bunnies rescued from in Vancouver a "hoppy" ending.

The rabbit population exploded on Granville Island earlier this year, likely after one or two pets were abandoned. Soon, there were dozens of rabbits. They were attracting coyotes, and a cull was planned in response – prompting protests.

The plan to trap and euthanize the bunnies was called off in favour of a plan where rescuers with Rabbitats would trap the animals and relocate them to the Bunny Café in East Vancouver.

"It's a big relief that these bunnies are getting the help that they need," Rabbitats volunteer Chelsea Rafuse told CTV News.

The Bunny Café offers people a chance to visit with the rabbits, and facilitates adoption.

"It makes me really happy that we're able to save these bunnies and provide a space for them that's secure and where they're safe from predators," the café's Michelle Furbacher says.

Many of the rescues from Granville Island are too young to be taken home yet, because they haven’t been spayed and neutered – something necessary given how bunnies tend to breed.

When they are up for adoption, people hoping to take one home are screened carefully. Bunnies are one of the most frequently abandoned pets, and Metro Vancouver rabbit rescues don’t have the capacity to keep up with the demand.