Tuesday Pretrial for Accused Rabbit Abusers

For Immediate Release
Contact: Erin Williams, HRS Richmond Communications, (510) 970-7575
http://www.rabbit.org

Tuesday Pretrial for Accused Rabbit Abusers:
Two Men Allegedly Attempted to Explode Family Pet

RICHMOND, Calif. (November 15, 2004) – Lucky the rabbit gained national attention after being taped to explosives and thrown into an East Bay lake. This Tuesday, the men alleged responsible face a pretrial in Hayward, CA. This past July, Lucky's previous "owner" Nicholas Sigmon and his friend, Paul Collins, allegedly decided to kill Lucky with explosives at a public lake.

On the evening of July 13, the two young adults met with a group of their friends at a pre-arranged location at Lake Don Castro in Castro Valley, where Sigmon and Collins worked as lifeguards. Sigmon and his friends allegedly duct-taped Lucky to an M-1000 – equivalent to a quarter stick of dynamite – lit the fuse, and threw her into the water. The explosives did not detonate. Lucky swam until, exhausted, she began to go under and they retrieved her from the lake. According to the police report, while the rabbit lay immobile and terrified on the dock, Sigmon and the others discussed a second attempt. They allegedly decided that the used fuse was now too short to safely relight without risking injury to themselves. Perhaps most shocking, the young people took her to the lake with the intent to blow her up and document the atrocity with a video camera.

House Rabbit Society (HRS), a national nonprofit headquartered in Richmond, CA, was alerted to the incident by an online posting containing shocking photos of Lucky, bedraggled and terrified. HRS notified East Bay Regional Park District Police, who issued a search warrant for Sigmon's home. Detectives confiscated Lucky and placed her in HRS’s care. After providing her with medical and foster care for three weeks, the organization adopted her to an experienced rabbit guardian on August 14. Lucky now lives happily with a loving family that includes two other rabbits.

Alameda County prosecutors charged Sigmon and Collins with misdemeanor animal cruelty. Sigmon and Collins' pretrial is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov.16 at 9:30, at the Hayward Hall of Justice (24405 Amador Street, Courtroom 501, Hayward). If no plea bargain is reached on Tuesday, a trial date will be set. They face a maximum sentence of one year in county jail.

While Lucky is enjoying her new home, HRS pushes for the maximum sentencing for the individuals responsible for this horrific act of cruelty. Erin Williams, Communications Coordinator for the HRS Rabbit Center, states, "Lucky suffered a terrible act of sadistic cruelty. The police report indicates Sigmon and his friends decided to explode Lucky days in advance and boasted about their intentions to co-workers. The use of live explosives, and the fact that the individuals documented their actions, is shocking and disturbing. It is imperative that they receive the strictest possible sentence for this atrocity. These men pose a serious threat to other animals, and they must be held responsible."

HRS is seeking donations for the care of rabbits like Lucky, as well as loving homes for other homeless rabbits. For more information about HRS and local chapters, please visit http://www.rabbit.org. For updates regarding this case, please check http://www.luckyrabbit.org

# # #

House Rabbit Society is an international non-profit organization that rescues rabbits and educates the public on rabbit care and behavior through its national network of fosterers and educators, advocacy programs, and its no-kill rabbit shelter in Richmond, California.