These Beautiful Bunnies These beautiful bunnies are ready to be adopted from Peter Nickels, who is holding Jolie and Candace Lyn, holding Noel. For more information about bunnies that need good homes, call them at 882-9313, extension 109 or contact Bridget Green at 882-5432. (Photo Ryan Thompson)

The sanctuary is a private organization run by Hess and Knickles. Recently the couple were evicted because they were unable to pay their rent and had to relocate to a temporary shelter.

The couple moved to Wiscasset in early 1999 from Boothbay, where they cared for 10 pet rabbits. In the fall of the same year they got a call from a neighbor who asked them to pick up 15 abandoned domesticated rabbits in Litchfield. They had been breeding for about a year but many of the offspring had died.

"Domestic rabbits can’t survive for long on their own," said Lyn.

They took the rabbits, mostly juveniles and two mothers, who gave birth to separate litters soon after. The initial group of 25 rabbits expanded as the juveniles began breeding and soon the number ballooned to 160.

Lyn said rabbits are fragile creatures and must be handled carefully by a vet who knows rabbits. They took one rabbit to a vet and the doctor accidentally killed the animal by spaying it.

They stopped taking more rabbits and, as the older, and less healthy rabbits began to die off, the number of rabbits dropped to 120.

In the fall of 2001 they began to look for a new home for their rabbits after running out of money. Lyn spends most of her time caring for the rabbits while Nickels works part- time. They had been living in a commercial building on Route 27 in Wiscasset with the rabbits.

In March of 2002 they moved the rabbits to the North of the Border barn on Route 1 in Wiscasset, while they made plans to find homes for the rabbits.

Fortunately they have found help from the community. Bob and Bridget Green, owners of North of the Border in Wiscasset, let them use their barn as a temporary bunny sanctuary. Bridget also loaned them a van so they can make trips to the store to buy food, hay and other supplies.

Along the way they found another friend, Caroline Hess, who works at the New Hampshire House Rabbit Services, an organization that specializes in rabbit placement.

Lyn said Hess has made many trips between New Hampshire and Maine to deliver bunnies to good homes. Some people have come from Massachusetts, New York, and even Pennsylvania to claim a rabbit.

Thanks to her, Lyn and Knickles have found homes for over 30 rabbits, in addition to the ones already placed. She said that Hess will make another trip this week to deliver 11 rabbits to other families that were unable to drive down to pick up the rabbits.

There will be 60 rabbits remaining at the end of the week. These are mostly older rabbits, with a few young bunnies and a family of 23 mostly middle-aged pets. Lyn said the goal is to find homes for most of the rabbits to bring their numbers down to a more manageable level.

To do this they need good homes for the rabbits, and donations of food, hay and other supplies. They will need a winterized home and a vehicle so they can deliver rabbits locally.

The Greens said they can continue to use their barn as long as they are still finding homes for all of them. Until then, the rabbits have adjusted to their new environment, and seem to be in good spirits, says Nickels.

He said bunnies are very expressive creatures and their mood will depend on their health. Bunnies that are in pain and are not going to get better are painlessly etherized by a trained vet, Dr. Dean Domeyer, who works at the Boothbay Animal Hospital.

Lyn says bunnies are also smart and she teaches each one a few simple commands like "food," "treat," and "home." She says if she says "home" to a trained bunny he or she will scamper to their cage.

For more information about bunnies that need good homes call them at 882-9313, extension 109 or contact Bridget Green at 882-5432.