Several abandoned rabbits brought to Windsor Humane Society

Animal rescue volunteer Marisa Desjardinssaved five baby rabbits from "horrific" conditions after her team got a call that several bunnies were left stranded in a Windsor neighbourhood.

Desjardins'group, Tiny Paws Small Animal Rescue, was made aware of the rabbits Saturday morning when they received a call from a concerned neighbour. She said the group was told that eight rabbits had been set loose on Partington Avenue.

The rabbits, which are now in the care of Windsor's Humane Society, were reportedly set free in the area without food or water.

Tiny Paws Small Animal Rescue volunteers set out to find the rabbits on Saturday morning, but they only came across one. In the evening, when Desjardins went to the area, she said they found four more underneath cars.

Each rabbit they found, she said, waslethargic, skinny and dirty.

Neighbours then told them to check a nearby shed where they found the sixth rabbit.

The shed, she said,had "pretty horrific" conditions.

"The shed had no roof, full of wire cages stacked on their side, [it] smelt awful [and had]rabbit poop droppings and just disgusting smell all around, no food or water out [either]," Desjardins said, adding "clearly they were kept in there and for a long time."

Of the eight rabbits, only six were found and had to be broughtto the local humane society because Desjardins said their rescue group is at full capacity.

Executive director of the humane society Melanie Coulter confirmed to CBC News that the rabbits are in the organization's care and that theincident "has been reported to the government," with investigators looking into the case.

"I'm all for the animals, animal-welfare and treating animals with respect and individuality and that scene was horrific for me, the smell was disgusting," Desjardins said.

The person who abandoned therabbits, she said, could have brought them to a rescue rather than let them loose. Since the animals are domestic, Desjardins said they won't survive on their own.

She said she's been in touch with the province's animal rescue investigators and is hoping charges will be laid against the owner of the rabbits so that this doesn't happen again.