Regina police and the Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Saskatchewan are investigating after reports of jackrabbits with arrows through their bodies in Harbour Landing.
"We have been able to confirm at least four different cases of jackrabbits being shot by someone with a bow and arrow,” said Erin Pippin with Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Saskatchewan. “They got arrows right through their body."
The organization aims to help wildlife in distress.
"We do as much as we can to document where they are and what's going on,” said Pippin.
“We haven't had a lot of luck in regards to capturing rabbits; they're extremely tough and resilient creatures even with an arrow through them."
Regina police say they are investigating the incidents, but a suspect has not yet been identified. Police say they can't confirm if the rabbits were shot within city limits. They are reminding the public that it's illegal to hunt or shoot wildlife inside the city.
Bill Thorn with the Regina Humane Society said this issue with the jackrabbits speaks to animal cruelty as a whole.
"Last year we had over 1,100 complaints of animal cruelty and neglect or a concern for an animal,” said Thorn.
“It is something that we see far too often; it's something that we do try to combat but the animal protection laws in Saskatchewan don't give us a lot of authority."
Pippin said she understands if someone was trying to hunt jackrabbits for meat, but doesn’t think that was the case with these rabbits.
"A lot of us within the organization accept things such as hunting, especially hunting for the meat. That is a fact of life,” said Pippin.
“In regards to cruelty to animals, this is just cruelty."
