Woman fined for hoarding 1,100 rabbits

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EDMONTON, Alberta, June 12 (UPI) -- A Canadian woman who had more than 1,100 pet rabbits seized from her Edmonton, Alberta, home in several incidents has been fined $8,500.

Shelley Zenner, 44, was also given a lifetime ban on owning pets apart from the dog she has and individual replacements over time, the Edmonton Journal reported.

Several times between 2008 and 2010, the Humane Society removed a total of 542 rabbits from Zenner's home, court heard.

The most recent incident was in March 2010, when 589 more rabbits, many of them pregnant, sick or injured, were confiscated, the report said.

She was charged with causing distress to animals and pleaded guilty in December. Before sentencing, Judge Ferne LeReverend requested a psychiatric evaluation, which indicated Zenner had a problem with hoarding.

Monday, the judge noted Zenner has since been undergoing counseling and ordered she continue with it for two more years. She is also banned from working at any business that deals with animals.

All of the rabbits that were taken from her home were euthanized, and veterinary costs reached $100,000, the Journal said.