Written by Jeff Mackey
Update: On August 20, Carole Van Wie, the operator of Bunny Magic Wildlife & Rabbit Rescue, Inc., was charged with 13 counts of cruelty to animals. The charges follow an August 8 raid on the facility—prompted by a PETA complaint—in which law-enforcement officers seized 222 rabbits. Officials reportedly had to don masks to rescue the flea-infested and sick rabbits from up to 4 inches of feces and urine. Investigators apparently found one rabbit dead in a cage and others denied food or water. According to news sources, seven of the rabbits rescued that day could not be saved.
Originally posted August 8:
Welcome news! Today, many, many rabbits are being removed by Calvert County, Maryland, officials from what could be called a sham "sanctuary," Bunny Magic Wildlife & Rabbit Rescue, Inc., in Lusby. The seizure was prompted by evidence gathered by PETA of systemic—and sometimes fatal—neglect of animals at the "rescue," following a whistleblower's tip-off.
Many neglected rabbits’ nails were overgrown. Some caught on wire cage bottoms while others curled dangerously toward the animals’ sensitive feet.
PETA submitted evidence and a detailed complaint to Calvert County Animal Control and State's Attorney Laura Martin's Office, which has opened a criminal investigation into Bunny Magic, run by President Carole Van Wie. We thank law enforcement for acting promptly and PETA Investigations & Rescue Fund donors for providing us with the resources needed to follow up on the whistleblower's tip.
PETA found that Bunny Magic consisted of little more than Van Wie's garage, which reeked of ammonia, and a dark shed that was overrun with rodents. It had no paid help to care for its more than 200 rabbits and other animals. Van Wie deprived rabbits of needed veterinary care and left contagious animals in contact with others, risking the spread of disease. Photographs show that Bunny Magic was little more than a hoarding facility, amassing far more animals than it could properly care for.
Dead rabbits crammed into a freezer
Scores of rabbits kept in cramped, stacked cages
Rabbits (who are fastidiously clean animals) were unable to avoid stepping in their own feces, which was allowed to accumulate for days
One neglected rabbit, Rockette, suffered with a severely twisted neck, struggling to stand up on her own; she was denied nursing and veterinary care and left to languish and defecate on herself until she finally died. Another rabbit, named George, who had a months-long respiratory infection that filled his throat with pus, was rescued from Bunny Magic before PETA met with officials but could not be saved. A veterinarian recommended that George be put out of his misery.
The rabbits are being rescued only because a courageous whistleblower reported how horrified he or she was by Bunny Magic, reminding us that we should never be silent when animals are in trouble.
Please be sure, before adopting any animals, that you're ready to make a lifetime commitment to caring for them. Beware of hoarders pretending to operate so-called "no-kill" rescues or sanctuaries who promise to care for unwanted animals but instead will only subject them to prolonged suffering and a prolonged, miserable death. If you take an animal to a shelter, make sure it's operated responsibly.
Victories like this one are made possible in part through the generosity of PETA Investigations & Rescue Fund supporters. To learn more about this vital fund and how you can support the rescue of more animals, click here!
Written by Michelle Kretzer
Some residents of Carlie Colella's home state aren't happy with her for making Maryland look like Hairyland by wearing the fur coat she was given as a prize for winning the Miss Maryland pageant. As Colella arrived at the Maryland Theatre in Hagerstown on Sunday for a send-off reception before heading to the Miss America pageant, she was greeted by PETA supporters who were there to remind her that only mean people wear fur.
Perhaps having seen video footage of animals being beaten and skinned alive on the body television that one of the protesters wore, Miss Maryland will prove that she is a beautiful person inside as well as out by donating her fur coat to PETA.
That would, in fact, be a great way to start bringing about world peace.
Written by PETA
It's so hot in the city, you'd think I'd be making another batch of lemonade—but I've got a hankering for some Internet Soup. It's been a while since the last batch, so dig in!
Oof! I don't know about you, but I'm full after all that soup—and guac. This Special K needs a siesta. Until next time …
Written by Karin Bennett
In the aftermath of the recent record-breaking snowstorms that hit the East Coast, it is being reported that the roofs of up to 50 chicken sheds throughout the Delmarva Peninsula in Delaware and Maryland have collapsed under the weight of the snow. As a result, thousands of birds have likely suffered and died in the rubble of these buildings.
These storms were predicted well in advance, which means that farm operators had ample time to figure out how to deal with the snowfall. All responsible farmers should always have an emergency evacuation plan in place for situations like this one. Now, we're writing to Delaware and Maryland officials urging them to investigate and insisting that cruelty-to-animals charges be brought if evidence is found to warrant them. If some farm operators did nothing to prevent the roof collapses or to evacuate the chickens, and any animals died as a result of their inaction, then those farmers are directly responsible for the animals' deaths.
The best way to prevent fatal accidents like this? Decrease the demand for chickens and other farmed animals by going vegan.
Written by Logan Scherer
It seems that people are getting wise to how the horse-racing industry causes horses to suffer and die, and they're staying away from the tracks in droves. The most recent casualty is Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course. Pimlico's owners have gone bankrupt, and it now appears that the state may take possession of the track.
With the death of the racing industry looming, we're asking Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley for his help in turning Pimlico into a horse empathy park. Pimlico should serve as a memorial for the thousands of horses who have died in pursuit of "the roses" (such as Barbaro, who died following his excruciating injury during the Preakness, held at—guess where?—Pimlico). The notorious racetrack can become a center where people can experience what it's like to be a "champion."
If Governor O'Malley comes through, visitors could tour educational displays about horses, see exhibits of painful bits and spurs, and even experience blinkers, whipping, and the "fun" of racing around a track with a heavy weight on their back. If it helps shut down more racetracks, I can't think of a better way to spend a vacation!
Colonel Sanders got a taste of his own medicine when PETA marked the Association of Kentucky Fried Chicken Franchisees Convention in Maryland last month by "slaughtering" the Colonel outside a nearby KFC restaurant.
Luckily for the brave actor portraying Colonel Sanders, our slaughter methods are a bit more humane than those employed by KFC's suppliers. The Colonel was not slammed into shackles (which often breaks birds' legs), he wasn't jolted by an electrified "stun bath," and he wasn't dunked into a scalding-hot defeathering tank. Nope—we just strung him up, poked him with a plastic knife, and let the red paint fly. But it made a darned nice visual, didn't it?
Written by Alisa Mullins
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
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