What was he supposed to do? Take it to the pound where it'd be gassed in 48 hours? The rabbit not only lived for three weeks in the wild, it now has a new home.
Not in this state
Animal task force shows claws
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1280305/posts
NJSBA Animal Law
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1562040/posts
Excerpts:
(snip)
ARREST POWERS: The legislative provision governing arrests for violations of the animal cruelty laws is contained in N.J.S.A. 4:22-44. It empowers only the state society and not the county societies. Arrests may be made with a warrant or without a warrant when the violation occurs in the individual’s presence. Since the provision was first enacted in 1880, the power to arrest has been conferred not only upon the NJ SPCA’s officers and agents, but also upon its members. However, nowhere in the statutes governing the societies is the term ‘member’ defined. Therefore, it includes dues-paying members and those members of the Board of Directors who are not agents or officers. These individuals receive no law enforcement training.
(snip)
POWER TO CARRY WEAPONS: Perhaps the most disturbing area of unbridled authority bestowed upon SPCAs is the ability of their officers to carry firearms without being subject to governmental oversight or to most of the stringent requirements governing legitimate law enforcement officers. While some SPCAs do not allow their officers to carry weapons or do not use the designation ‘officer’ in order to eliminate the firearms issue, the officers of nine SPCAs are armed. Both county and state SPCA officers are exempt under NJSA 2C: 39-6c(7), which empowers SPCA officers to carry weapons in the actual performance of their official duties.
(snip)
Well, presumably he should’ve obtained a larger cage for it, or simply got a cage that was of sufficient size for an adult rabbit when he bought the baby bunny in the first place, or put up an ad online or asked around to see if anyone wanted a free pet rabbit and all his rabbit food and other rabbit-care supplies, they’d only need to buy a cage...
Putting a domestic animal into the wild is usually very dangerous for them. A domestic rabbit would have no idea about predators, cars, bad weather, where to find food or water, what food and water is safe, etc. So, while it’s not impossible for them to survive, there are dozens of imminent dangers around and survival is highly unlikely.
Many years ago, I found two beautiful rabbits abandoned in a park near the woods behind the home where I grew up. They were hopping around near the small street running along the park. So, I asked some people to help me catch them, and I thought I was a Good Samaritan for driving them to the local shelter. That Monday, I was at work sharing the story, and some animal lovers (who also were vegetarians) there became upset, saying the shelter probably killed the rabbits. I had no idea that would happen. They said I should've let them live in nature.
And now, this man is being punished for releasing his rabbit into nature.
The woods is not the natural environment of a domestic rabbit.