Rabbit Who Was Taped to Explosives Adopted: Rabbit Rescue Group Finds Lucky a Loving Home

[Guest guest]

For Immediate Release

Contact: Erin Williams, HRS Shelter Director, (510) 970-7575

www.rabbit.org

 

Rabbit Who Was Taped to Explosives Adopted: Rabbit Rescue Group Finds

Lucky a Loving Home

 

RICHMOND, Calif. (August 18, 2004) ... Lucky the rabbit gained national

attention after being taped to explosives and thrown into an East Bay

lake, and now the organization that rescued her is pleased to announce

that she has found a permanent home. On July 13, a group of several

East Bay young adults took Lucky to Lake Don Castro, where her " owner "

then duct-taped her to an M-1000 before throwing her into the water.

The explosives, equivalent to a quarter stick of dynamite, did not

detonate. The group then retrieved her from the lake. Perhaps most

shocking, the young people took her to the lake with the intent to blow

her up and document the atrocity with a camera.

 

House Rabbit Society (HRS), a national nonprofit organization

headquartered in Richmond, CA, alerted authorities and rescued Lucky

after being alerted to the incident by an online posting containing

shocking photos of Lucky, bedraggled and terrified. After providing her

with medical and foster care for three weeks, the organization adopted

her to an experienced rabbit guardian on August 14. Lucky now joins a

loving family, including her new guardian and two other rabbits, with

whom she has already bonded.

 

HRS Shelter Director Erin Williams stated, " While Lucky suffered a

shocking act of sadistic cruelty, I am thrilled that she has recovered

and has found a wonderful, permanent home. Lucky will never again be

tortured, suffer, or feel terror. Instead, she will be surrounded by a

loving family who will give her the care, compassion, and respect that

she deserves for the rest of her life. "

 

While Lucky is enjoying her new home, HRS intends to push for the

maximum sentencing for the individuals responsible for this horrific act

of cruelty. Williams continues, " Any act of cruelty is flatly

unacceptable. The use of live explosives, and the fact that the

individuals documented their actions with a camera, is incredibly

disturbing. It is imperative that they receive the strictest possible

sentence for this atrocity. These individuals pose a serious threat to

other animals, and they must be held responsible. "

 

Alameda County prosecutors have charged Lucky's previous " owner " Nick

Sigmon and Paul Collins with misdemeanor animal cruelty. Sigmon and

Collins face a pretrial hearing on September 27 and a maximum sentence

of one year in county jail.

 

HRS is seeking donations for the care of rabbits like Lucky, as well as

loving homes for other homeless rabbits. For more information about HRS

and local chapters, please visit www.rabbit.org. For updates regarding

this case, please check

http://rabbit.org/rabbit-center/lucky_rescue.html

 

# # #

 

What You Can Do:

 

Write the Alameda County Deputy District Attorney's office and

*politely* urge them to pursue the maximum allowable penalty for this

horrific act of cruelty.

 

Roy Scheingart, Deputy District Attorney

24405 Amador Street, Room 103

Hayward 94544

 

Nicholas Sigmon case # 376959A

Paul Collins Case # 376959B

 

--

Erin Williams

Shelter Director

House Rabbit Society

Richmond Rabbit Center

148 Broadway

Richmond, CA 94804

(510) 970-7575

www.rabbit.org