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August 19, 2010
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Mission Viejo officials have given the go ahead to homeowners association in a gated community here to control its rabbit population by shooting the animals with pellet guns.
The permit was issued to Palmia, a community of 901 homes near the city's northeast border. It's only the second one issued by the city; Casta del Sol first requested to be allowed to shoot rabbits in 2005, a move some residents protested at the time.
Under the permit, which is reviewed every two years, shooting is only allowed 30 minutes after sunset and thirty minutes before sunrise.
The HOA must hire a professional company to shoot the rabbits and that shooting can only be done in open space when people are not present. The sheriff's department must be notified on those days.
In Palmia, just as in Casta del Sol, rabbits have chewed patches of lawn down to the dirt, eaten through flower beds, and damaged areas with urine and droppings.
"When you plant a petunia, the next day it's gone," said Jon Goettsch, a member of the HOA board. "We're trying, obviously, not to plant that stuff and to replant with non-rabbit-friendly plants. The majority of the damage is in the yards where they eat the grass right down to the dirt. Rabbits hide in a lot of our vegetation out here. It's a pretty serious problem."
Goettsch reported multiple complaints a day from homeowners, and said that a "large majority" of residents supported shooting the rabbits.
"If it was a small issue, we would have tried to take care of it another way," Goettsch said. "(Casta del Sol) has eradicated 50, 60, 70 percent of rabbits, so now they can grow some grass and get things looking good."
In Casta del Sol, a company was hired to control the rabbit population, a move 25-year resident Bonnie Laird said was the right move. The association there was spending more than $50,000 per year to replant after trying non-lethal means to deter the rabbits, according to the HOA.
"They were eating any kind of pretty flower, they just ate them as soon as you put them in the ground ... I had four huge brown spots on my lawn, and I stopped planting anything but succulents and cactus" she said.
"(The population) has decreased, I would say, because this year, so far we've only seen one, which is unusual."
Only one person spoke against the permit at the council meeting, 14-year old Reid Barraza, who does not live in Palmia.
"I like plants ... but to even think to kill an animal to preserve that disturbed me," he said before requesting the use of non-lethal means, including dusting the plants with chili powder.
The council listened to his concerns before unanimously voting in favor of the permit. Mayor Trish Kelley explained to Barraza that bunnies might be cute, but they can be destructive as well.
"Even though you're not agreeing with the decision we might make tonight, thank you for coming," she said.
Contact the writer: 949-454-7352 or npirani@ocregister.com
