Shelley Zenner, Rabbit House - Edmonton, Canada

A woman who had more than 1,100 rabbits seized from her home pleaded guilty to causing an animal distress on Monday.

Shelley Zenner was charged with various offences under the Animal Protection Act after the Humane Society seized 567 rabbits from her Edmonton-area home in March 2010. Because so many of the animals were pregnant, the Humane Society ended up with 589 rabbits.

An additional 542 rabbits had been seized from the home between fall 2008 and March 2010.

The Crown and defence lawyers issued a joint submission that would see Zenner to pay $8,500 in fines and receive a lifetime prohibition from owning animals..."  More


Apr 7, 2010: Three charged in Edmonton rabbit house case
BY BEN GELINAS
Three Edmonton residents have now been charged after the single largest seizure of rabbits in the Edmonton Humane Society’s recorded history last month.
The 589 bunnies seized by animal protection officers on March 12 were in poor health. Many were found to be carrying the highly contagious and untreatable disease “Snuffles” and all had to be euthanized, society spokeswoman Shawna Randolph said Wednesday.

Mar 31, 2010: Edmonton rabbit hoarders anger neighbours

By:Michelle Thompson
There’s no city bylaw stopping hare-crazy Edmontonians from hoarding hundreds of rabbits.
And some people are hopping mad about it.
“We need to make sure there’s tougher laws in place,” said Lori Herlidan, who runs Edmonton-based New Beginnings Rabbit Rescue.

“We need to have a heavier hand with that.”

Until being snapped up by animal control workers last month, 500 rabbits had been living rent free in a $500,000 Riverbend home.

Some living in air vents and cupboards, the cuddly beasts had been hopping around the 2,297-square-foot home at their own speed, chewing apart floorboards and electrical wires.
The rabbits were seized from the house — layered with feces and fur — following a provincial environmental health order March 15, demanding the property be vacated until it was improved to a “safe and habitable condition.”

But neighbours are convinced a massive rabbit population will return to 730 Haliburton Cres. — unless a bylaw is created to stop the bunny-fanatics from restoring their collection.
“If they (the homeowners) are allowed to move back in, there’s going to be problems,” said one neighbour, requesting anonymity.

Under city bylaws, homeowners are allowed to have up to three dogs and six cats.
But there’s no limit to the amount of birds or bunnies living in Edmonton abodes.
Unless animals are in danger, the city’s paws are tied when it comes to enforcing rabbit overloads, said Edmonton’s animal control coordinator.

“From a bylaw perspective, there’s nothing we can do,” Keith Scott said. “There are other agencies that deal with those things.”

Some city councillors said they were willing to review the bylaws, but added they didn’t suspect it would be necessary to put a rabbit limit on households.

“I don’t really know whether we require changes to the bylaw,” said Coun. Amarjeet Sohi. “I think people should use common sense.”

Sounds of a barking dog and a running vacuum could be heard inside 730 Haliburton Cres. on Wednesday, but the people inside didn’t answer the door.

The house is owned by Shelley Zenner and her adult son Quentin, who recently moved out.
His wheelchair-bound grandma, Edna Zenner, lives at the house too.

Relatives said the rabbit-hoarding clan had long moved from their Debolt, Alta. hometown and ostracized themselves from most of the family..." More


Mar 30, 2010: Hundreds of rabbits removed from Edmonton house
Two residents were ordered to leave their southwest Edmonton home earlier this month after the house was ruled uninhabitable due to the urine-stained floors, droppings and hair from hundreds of rabbits inside.
"The house was in an unsanitary condition caused by over 500 rabbits that lived, unconfined, throughout the house," environmental health officer Sandra Hamilton wrote in an order on March 15.
The residents were ordered to leave their house within seven days and return it to a "safe and habitable condition."
The rabbits were removed by Edmonton Humane Society animal protection officers on March 12, according to spokeswoman Shawna Randolph.
Randolph said she could not say how many rabbits were actually seized until charges are laid, but said it was "more than 500." Neighbours say the rabbits were running free for about three years.
According to the order, heat vents in the house on Haliburton Crescent were blocked by dust, hair and droppings. Missing floor coverings exposed a subfloor contaminated by rabbit waste.
Rabbit droppings, hay contaminated with rabbit droppings and drywall stained with rabbit urine were found inside the house and another pile of droppings was discovered in the driveway..." More

The bunnies were living in a Terwillegar area home on Haliburton Crescent that has been on the society’s radar for more than a year.

Animal protection officers had been working with the family prior to the seizure.

Over the last several months, the family surrendered 542 additional rabbits, which were generally healthier than those seized in March. The majority of those have been put up for adoption.

This one house on Haliburton has provided the society with the majority of its rabbits up for adoptions over the last year and a half, Randolph said. In 2008, the society put 312 rabbits up for adoption; in 2009, they put 432 rabbits up.

The society averaged 55 a year prior to 2008.

Randolph could not discuss the reasons why this one family had allegedly accumulated so many domesticated rabbits.

Shelley Zenner, Edna Zenner and Quentin Zenner have each been charged with causing distress, failing to provide adequate care for sick or wounded animals, failing to provide food and water, as well as shelter, ventilation and space.

The rabbits were seized March 12 and an inspection several days later showed the home was not fit for even humans to live in. A March 15 report detailed a long list of safety hazards and disease risks, including large holes in the wall revealing exposed electrical wires being chewed by rabbits..." More

Jun 13, 2012:  Woman, 44, hoarded 1,100 rabbits in her dilapidated two-storey homeDec 19, 2011:  Alberta woman pleads guilty to hoarding 1,100 bunnies


A woman who hoarded more than 1,100 rabbits in her house has been fined $8,500 (£5,300) and banned for life from keeping more than one animal as a pet.


Shelley Zenner, 44, from Edmonton, Canada, was also ordered to take psychological counselling after earlier pleading guilty in court of causing distress to an animal.


A court heard how animal protection officers raided Zenner's two-storey home on March 12, 2011, and removed 589 rabbits - the largest single seizure of rabbits Edmonton Humane Society officials have ever witnessed




They said the bunnies were everywhere, living in an environment full of urine and faeces with many injured or missing eyes or limbs.


Almost all of the rabbits were euthanised by EHS because they were suffering with the highly contagious, fatal respiratory infection known as snuffles.


Her home in Terwillegar, south west Edmonton, had been under surveillance since 2008. More than 1,100 rabbits were either removed or surrendered from the home over three years..."  More

Animal hoarding targeted in Horry County

May 1, 2012:  Additional animal control regulations passed by Horry County Council

By Brad Dickerson

There’s a few more rules on the books for dealing with animal management in Horry County.

The County Council unanimously passed third and final reading Tuesday night of an ordinance that adds new provisions to the animal control statute, such as making it unlawful for keeping pets locked up inside vehicles on hot days. Additionally, the new ordinance changes some of the language to better clarify how animals should be treated by their owners.

Third reading was quickly passed with no discussion among council members other than clarifying some grammatical errors in the ordinance. This followed a lengthy discussion during second reading, where the issue of whether the new laws were too broad was discussed...

...Also, animal hoarding isn’t based on a specified number, but whether or not the owner is able to provide the minimum care and treatment required for a large number of animals.

There has been some talk over how the wording of the updated animal control ordinance makes the rules too broad.

Council Chairman Tom Rice cast the sole “nay” vote on the ordinance’s second reading at the April 17 County Council meeting..."  More

Aug 2, 2012: Horry County considers stiff new penalties to protect animals

By Sean Maginnis

HORRY COUNTY, SC - Horry County Officials may be looking to crack down on animal abuse and provide aid to stray animals.

The Horry County Public Safety Department is currently reviewing plans to create stiffer penalties for people convicted of animal abuse crimes, as well as better defining proper animal care.

County Spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier said the goal of the proposed law change is to make sure people know what it means to provide adequate food, shelter and water for domesticated animals.

"The County is...just trying to better define our definitions," Bourcier explained.  "And [also] trying to put in a little heavier penalties as well."

One of the penalties would include the possibility of prohibiting convicted animal abusers from owning a domesticated animal for up to two years.

Conway resident Bobby McDowell, a self proclaimed animal lover, says he believes the county's rules on animal care are vague and in dire need of an update.

"[The ordinance] has no meat, no backbone to it," he stressed. "Which means our [animal control] officers can't do their jobs."

Other ideas being considered by the Public Safety Committee are the prohibition of animal hoarding, creating a low cost spay and neuter program, creating a catch and release spay and neuter plan for stray animals, and requiring all pet owners to implant their pets with I.D. microchips.

Bob Bonsigner, President of the "Sav-R-Cats" animal advocacy group, said he is particularly pleased with the catch and release spay and neuter program, one he is helping county officials develop..."  More

Jan 24, 2010: Animal hoarding up for public review in Horry Co.

An ordinance that aims at protecting animals will be up for public review Monday during a Horry County Public Safety Committee meeting.

The ordinance, under its last review, would give Horry County the authority to remove pets from someone's home if there are a large number of animals that are not properly cared for. A copy of the ordinance states hoarders often fail to provide basic care for animals, resulting in "malnourishment, injuries, disease and often death."

John Pennington, who manages a rental property, says he had a big mess to clean up after renters moved out and left their dogs behind. One dog was dead and the others made what he describes as a "mess" around the house.

Pennington hopes the ordinance passes, noting it would have greatly helped his situation.

"If they would have [gotten] the dogs out of there, not only would it make a difference for the dog, he'd still be alive," believed Pennington. "My apartment wouldn't be completely destroyed."

Bob Grabowski, vice chairman of the Horry County Council, says its instances like Pennington's that have pushed the council to pass an ordinance such as the animal hoarding ordinance.

"Our focus here is really to help the animals - to help the animals get out of these horrible conditions," he said.

If an officer takes note of an animal hoarding problem, they are supposed to take pictures and then present the evidence to a judge before the animals can be removed from the home.

Pennington claims he called police four times before they took action. He says the reason police didn't act was because the animals were not running around the neighborhood. They were in a home.

Pennington believes the ordinance could have given police the authority to take action earlier. He says if someone is not taking care of their pets, they should be taken away.

"They come get your kids, don't they?" he asked. "When you're not good to your kids, why not the animals?"

Grabowski says the ordinance is not targeting licensed breeders or anyone who has multiple animals that are well cared for or well fed.

The public review will take place during on Monday at 9:30 a.m. at the Horry County Government and Justice Center in Conway. The ordinance is expected to Horry County Council for another public review and its final reading..." Link

Dec 7, 2009: Animal hoarding ordinance to receive more consideration

By Claudia Lauer

The Horry County Council Public Safety Committee voted to continue the discussion on the county's proposed animal hoarding ordinance.

Several members of the public, including representatives from Sav-R-Cats and the Horry County Humane Society, came to the committee meeting this morning with questions and requests. Some questioned whether the ordinance would unfairly target rescue operations, but the county was clear that the ordinance would not be aimed at anyone who is humanely adopting animals..." More & video

Nov 5, 2009: Animal hoarding targeted in Horry County

By Claudia Lauer

The story of the woman who lives with dozens of cats seems to be a fictional cautionary tale for most people, but Horry County could soon take steps to prevent the real-life problems that accompany the condition known as animal hoarding.

The compulsive hoarding of animals is often a psychiatric disorder in which people feel the need to rescue more animals than they can care for, and the result is usually a health issue for the humans and animals involved. The Horry County Council will hear first reading of an ordinance Tuesday to treat animal hoarding as a punishable offense and to allow animal control officers to remove animals from those situations.

"It has been a problem in certain districts in the county. We had one situation where a person had 56 dogs inside of a single-wide trailer, and when officers stepped inside, they fell through the floor because it had rotted from all of the animal waste," said Paul Whitten, Horry County's director of Public Safety. "I think any attempt to put a number where it becomes unsafe to have that many animals, I think that number would really be arbitrary."...

...Animal hoarders usually don't understand or acknowledge their inability to care for their animals. Houses can be overrun by animal waste and the animals are often kept inside because the owners are afraid others will see their poor health, but conditions don't have to reach that critical point to be considered hoarding, according to the psychiatric research group Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium..."...More

County board mulls over animal control

Bill Grimes

If there’s one thing Effingham County residents don’t agree upon, it’s how the county board should proceed on a lingering animal control issue.

Despite a 2 1/2 hour board meeting Monday that was punctuated with a number of opposing views, the board wasn’t able to provide State’s Attorney Ed Deters with a whole lot of guidance on several pending issues related to animal control — particularly the alleged hoarding that has generated complaints from several people in a Lake Sara-area subdivision in rural Effingham.

“Ed, we’re not helping you at all,” said board Chairwoman Carolyn Willenburg. “I don’t know what the answer is.”

Board members did agree higher fines should be part of an amended animal control ordinance but said a zero-tolerance policy about animals running loose, even in farm areas, should not be considered...

But board members and private citizens alike agonized over the issue of how many animals is too many. The Illinois Animal Control Act prohibits hoarding of “companion animals,” but does not list a number of animals one must have to be considered a hoarder...

Board member Mark Percival suggested a hoarding provision would be an undue burden on animal control personnel.

“The county has many things to do besides count cats,” Percival said. “Covenants could be placed in each subdivision.”

But several neighbors of Calvin Myatt, who is accused of owning up to 160 cats at his Lake Sara-area home, said Myatt’s cats have caused a problem in their neighborhood. Several residents of the Nees Subdivision on the north shore of the lake have expressed frustration with the inability of anybody to do something about the cats, which they claim create smell and disease issues in their area.

“You can’t sit in my yard without smelling it,” said Jamie Sidwell, who lives down the street from the Myatts. “Having more than 100 cats is wrong.”

County animal control officers and Illinois Department of Ag officials, who have visited the Myatt property, claim Myatt’s cats are cared for and say he is not in violation of the state hoarding statute, which is unclear in its description of what constitutes hoarding..." More

County may add bite to animal control ordinance

Bill Grimes

Effingham County Board members plan to pass an amended animal control ordinance at their Nov. 16 meeting, board chairwoman Carolyn Willenburg said Wednesday.

How the board will amend the ordinance is still up in the air, but State’s Attorney Ed Deters offered a number of suggestions at Wednesday’s Public Safety Committee meeting.

Deters said several suggestions outlined Wednesday would be incorporated into the revised ordinance, while others would be administrative changes that would not require board action.

Deters’ suggested amendments include...

• Implement an anti-hoarding ordinance.

Deters said the city of Effingham limits the number of dogs or cats owned to four, while giving pet owners several months to sell or give away puppies or kittens born in their home.

“I would have a higher number than four in my mind,” Deters said. “Maybe the right number is 10.”

Committee member David Campbell said several county residents raise hunting dogs and would have more than four at any one time.

Whatever the case, Deters said, the new ordinance should reflect an intolerance for owning dozens of cats or dogs. Some county residents have been accused by their neighbors of “hoarding” dozens of cats in their home, reportedly causing a stench throughout the neighborhoods.

“People typically don’t want to live next to 100 cats,” he said.

Jackson Township resident Ed Hoopingarner told the board that the hoarding issue is more of a problem in rural areas.

“Most farmers have a lot of cats to keep rodents away,” Hoopingarner said. “And I have two dogs to manage my animals.

“If we have to pen the dogs up, that’s going to be bad.”..." More