Rabbit shot with bolt rescued in southeast Calgary
Animal is out of surgery and doing well
A local animal rescue is hoping police will be able to track down the person who shot a rabbit with a bolt in Calgary this week.
Amanda Greening, who along with her family founded Against All Odds Rabbit Rescue, said they rescued the rabbit on Friday after a tip from someone who works in the Manchester industrial area who had spotted the injured animal.
It was hopping around 530 38A Ave. S.E. near the train tracks, with a dart or bolt pierced through it.
"We went out yesterday and it took a couple hours to get her but we did eventually get her," said Greening.
"It was through the skin layer, so luckily it wasn't as bad as it could have been but it was definitely serious."
The bolt was removed surgically yesterday and Greening said the bunny is recovering well from the anesthetic.
Greening's filed a police report.
She said she plans to go to a hunting gear store to determine what type of bolt it was. She said she believes it may have come from a blow gun and that the end of it was pulled off — either by the rabbit or the person that fired it.
"I'm kind of sadly not surprised, because I know a lot of people just kind of think the feral rabbits are kind of a nuisance. And, I mean, it's not their fault that they're out there," she said. "They're usually descendants from dumped pets and people who don't want them anymore and it just makes me really sad because they're so defenseless."
Against All Odds Rabbit Rescue takes in about 50 rabbits each year, most of whom have medical or behavioural issues, and works with the animals until they can be adopted out.