Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies seized about 200 rabbits from a woman’s property in Arvada Thursday afternoon.
Mark Techmeyer, a spokesman for the sheriff, said the rabbits were “aggressively thirsty” and hungry and lived in cages that hadn’t been cleaned for “quite some time.”
Recure workers could be seen removing a small number of dead animals from the scene, 9News reported.
Veterinarians still on the scene late tonight, helping to evaluate the animals.
Techmeyer said authorities will take them to a barn on the Jefferson County Fairgounds, where they will stay until officials can make other arrangements for them.
Foothills Animal Rescue will take over the care and evaluation of the rabbits.
Techmeyer said officials visited the home on West 75th Avenue after receiving a tip from a new CrimeStoppers initiative that allows people to report tips about possible animal cruelty. This was the first tip the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has received using the new system.
Techmeyer said no charges had been filed Thursday afternoon but he expects that to change as officials continue their investigation.
Liz Navratil: 303-954-1054 or lnavratil@denverpost.com
