Macomb Couty Sheriff’s deputies are looking for the person who threw a litter of baby rabbits in a bag from a vehicle in Macomb Township before the little bunnies were rescued thanks to the efforts of a citizen and a deputy.
A 911 dispatch caller reported at about 7 p.m. that someone had thrown a plastic bag out of a car window near Potomac Drive and Shoal Drive, located near the Clinton River Middle Branch north of Hall Road between Heydenreich and Romeo Plank roads, according to a Sheriff’s Office press release. The caller said the bag contained eight tiny rabbits estimated to be 1 to 2 weeks old.
The bag was tightly closed with a knot, and Deputy Taylor Dibble used a key to cut a hole in the bag to provide oxygen, officials said. One of the rabbits was found to be deceased.
The state Department of Natural Resources advised the deputy to transport the kits to the Detroit Animal Welfare Group in Bruce Township. DAWG, located on McKay Road near the borders of Lapeer and St. Clair counties, operates a 25-acre no-kill sanctuary for rescued animals. The farm plays host to hundreds of animals, said Kelley LaBonty, DAWG director.
LaBonty said the rabbits arrived dehydrated and close to suffering from hypo-thermia but recovered with the help of an incubator.
“They’re doing fine now,” she said.
The babies are initially being fed formula and will gradually transition to foods they would consume in the wild, to where they will be released in a month, she said.
“Once they’re able to eat and live on their own, and able to be release, they will be released to the wild,” LaBonty said.
Meanwhile, the suspect, a younger to middle-aged male, was seen driving a small red Chevy car. The witness who contact police reported he has seen the suspect in the area before.
“The Macomb County Sheriff’s Office takes situations of animal abuse and mistreatment very seriously,” stated Sheriff Wickersham. “I commend Deputy Taylor Dibble for diligently answering the call and giving these animals a chance at life.”
Anyone with information about the suspect should call the Sheriff’s Office at 586-469-5151.