About 15 years ago, KMOX's Debbie Monterrey met with a woman who had a passion for rabbits -- and dozens of them in her basement. Debbie decided to pay another visit to the woman to catch up, and see what's changed since then.
Joy Gioia worked at the House Rabbit Society of St. Louis in Fenton. She retired recently, but said that doesn't mean she's not working.
"Instead of having a 40 hour week, I now have probably a 60 to 80 hour week," she said. But, she added, she's doing what she loves.
The bunny house has a big anniversary this year -- its 25th anniversary. It's impressive especially given that the organization has been entirely volunteer-operated since the beginning. They've upsized from Gioia's basement to a 6,400-square foot shelter.
"The whole thing used to be in my basement, but they had to move because the bunnies outgrew the basement," Gioia explained. "Rabbits are the third most abandoned pet in the country -- cats are one, dogs are two -- but shelters are set up for cats and dogs and most of them are not set up to take rabbits."
She said there are a few reasons people turn rabbits loose so often. People often think they'll be low-maintenance pets, but they require a lot of attention, and can have high medical bills.
But the main reason, Gioia explained, is that parents get them for their kids thinking they'll be easy to take care of.
"Children are the number one reason, because the bunnies are cute and children beg, 'Please mommy, I want a bunny,'" she said. "And the parents think it's something that they can give the kids almost like it's a toy, like a little ant farm, put it in the child's room and think the child is going to take care of. It never happens."
She added, "In the 25 years I've been doing this I have not once seen a child start with a bunny and have that bunny through its entire life."
Listen to Debbie Monterrey's interview with Joy Gioia to hear about how her organization helps care for all those stray bunnies:
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