Inhumane rabbit slaughterhouse exposed in Odendaalsrus

Huskyherz via pixabay.com

A warrant was obtained to grant access to the facility. Inspectors were shocked and horrified to find approximately 450 - 500 rabbits, housed in small wire hutches in the garage of the residential property.

Owners received warning to improve living conditions

The owners of the property first claimed that the rabbits were their pets, each having its own name. The owners were evasive, hostile and reluctant to cooperate. Warnings in terms of the Animals Protection Act were issued to improve the living conditions of the rabbits immediately or face prosecution.

A second warrant was obtained and inspectors returned to the scene on 18 June 2015 to follow up on the warning that had been issued. Two box-type deep freezers were packed with the carcasses of recently slaughtered rabbits. An estimated 600 rabbit carcasses were discovered.

Each rabbit on the property was inspected, this taking place under very hostile circumstances. The rabbits were kept in overcrowded, small, wire hutches. Some hutches contained eight rabbits. Rabbits that had given birth were with both dead and living offspring, the dead kittens were not removed.

Rabbits in very poor condition

Juvenile rabbits, up to eight, were left with their mothers in crowded hutches. Most rabbits had bleeding feet and sores on the soles of their feet as they had no resting area in the poorly maintained hutches. Mothers feeding kittens had no room to move freely or naturally. There was no bedding and the food provided was of poor quality. There were no records of the number of rabbits kept and no veterinary records were available.

A further warning was issued in terms of the Animals Protection Act which included the instruction that the rabbits had to be taken for veterinary treatment. One rabbit, with severe sores under the soles of her feet and wounds from infighting, was seized and taken to the veterinarian of the Welkom SPCA for observation and tests.

Owners of the property then admitted to slaughtering the rabbits on the property - in their kitchen - but claimed this was to produce meat for their own consumption.

Rabbit meat sold to public

Further investigation revealed that they were donating the home-slaughtered rabbit carcasses to churches in the area as well as selling the meat to the MJ Fish Market and to the Food Lovers Market in Welkom. Both the MJ Fish Market and the Food Lovers Market were visited by the inspectors. Both outlets admitted buying rabbit meat from the accused, which was then sold to the public.

On 25 June 2015, SPCA inspectors returned to the property accompanied by the representatives from the Department of Health, Veterinary Health , and the local By-Law Department. It was discovered that all the rabbits, except for one that was left in a hutch, had been removed by the owners who claimed that they had taken the rabbits to the disadvantaged people and handed them out to whoever was willing to take them. A list of the new owners of these rabbits was eventually obtained as additional charges in terms of the Animals Protection Act, No 71 of 1962, Section 8.4, would be pursued against the owners for concealing animals.

Rabbits forced on impoverished people

Some of the rabbits were found running as strays in the local township. The community confirmed that a woman had stood at the corner and demanded that all people passing by take rabbits from her for free, as many as they wanted. The fate of unweaned kittens and lactating mother rabbits is unknown and is of particularly grave concern.

An additional concern has arisen as uncontrolled breeding and a possible overpopulation of rabbits is now likely to take place in the area. Inspectors continue to locate the rabbits which have been dumped on impoverished people. Community members were and will be encouraged to surrender the rabbits. Many rabbits have already been handed to the SPCA and some community members agree that they are not able to care for the rabbits that were forced onto them.

This incident illustrates the lack of welfare in relation to the "farming" of rabbits. Greed overrides welfare. When money and animals are mentioned in one sentence, there will always be some form of cruelty.