Rabbits

Two groups of tiny, dark-eyed, salt-and-pepper rabbits were released in a sagebrush field in eastern Washington last week, raising the population of Columbia Basin pygmy rabbits in the wild from zero to 20. They are the smallest rabbits in the United States and one of only two types in North America that dig their own burrows. Adults weigh about a pound, and measure a foot long.

Sugar Bunny, the pet rabbit of Cedar Street residents, has vanished, sending a chill through this quiet Santa Monica neighborhood on Easter Sunday. Children, parents and dog walkers are on the lookout. Fans have posted signs on the fence of the vacant lot where Sugar held court, and, from all reports, charmed everyone who came by. "Bring the rabbit back," said Brett Conrad, 45, who along with his wife and two children are the technical owners of Sugar Bunny. "It's not your rabbit.

The 20 endangered pygmy rabbits that were reintroduced to the wild with great fanfare last month aren't faring so well. Fourteen of the 20 rabbits have been killed by predators. Only four of the rabbits released March 13 remained at the Sagebrush Flat Wildlife Area, said David Hays, pygmy rabbit coordinator for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Hays said two males were removed earlier this month and will be returned at the end of April.

The only surviving pair of endangered pygmy rabbits to have been released in a program to increase their numbers in the wild have dodged coyotes, badgers, hawks and owls -- and found time for love. Scientists announced Thursday that the rabbits had bred. "We were worried. It took them a little while, but they did what rabbits do best," Rodney D. Sayler, a Washington State University conservation biologist, said from Pullman.

Sixty-five pet rabbits have been found abandoned around the city in recent months, and all but one have been euthanized, city officials said. Animal control officials said the same person is probably responsible for the five incidents of abandonment during the last six months in which the animals were found. Most of the rabbits were skittish around humans, and some were emaciated and had open wounds on their bodies, city officials said. The most recent batch of 10 rabbits was found Jan.

A few years back the focus was on Marilyn Barletta, the so-called cat woman of Petaluma, Calif., who was found to have been keeping 196 felines in her home. In the last week, also in Petaluma, nearly 1,000 rats were discovered in filthy conditions in the home of Roger Dier. And Friday, in South San Francisco, a man with a soft spot for bunnies was reported to the local humane society. When animal welfare workers arrived at his home, they discovered 80 rabbits chewing on bagels and cauliflower.

They were described as "cute little critters" that bring happiness and solace to residents. They were lauded for their playfulness and for being part of the reason some people had moved into the neighborhood. The speakers at the microphone weren't talking about the members of the Seal Beach City Council, although the council members appeared to be fine fellows and four of the five were wearing colorful Hawaiian shirts. The speakers were talking about the rabbits.

An 81-year-old Wilmington woman was found Monday afternoon by Los Angeles Department of Animal Services officers in her home with more than 100 rats and 35 other animals she kept as pets. Wanda Langstom was taken to a hospital to be treated for animal bites. Her arms were covered with open wounds that were probably caused by her animals, said Annette Ramirez, an animal control officer. Animal control officers also seized the animals, which included about 120 rats, most in cages but some running loose, 25 rabbits, a dog, six parakeets, a quail and a cockatiel.

An animal rights organization is urging the Orange County district attorney's office to "vigorously" prosecute a man who allegedly took a video of himself abusing rabbits and a dog, then posted it on MySpace.com, calling his behavior "extremely severe." Joseph Anthony Deiss, 19, of Yorba Linda was charged last week with three counts of animal cruelty and three counts of animal abuse by a caretaker after allegedly throwing a pug and two rabbits 15 to 30 feet in the air and allowing them to hit the ground.

A man accused of taking a video of himself abusing rabbits and a dog pleaded not guilty Thursday to six misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty, authorities said. Joseph Anthony Deiss, 19, surrendered at the Fullerton Justice Center, where he was arraigned and released on $10,000 bail. He is scheduled for a pretrial hearing May 8. Deiss, of Yorba Linda, is accused of throwing a pug and three rabbits 15 to 30 feet in the air and allowing them to hit the ground. The charges were filed after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals saw a video of the incident on MySpace and showed it to authorities.