SAANICH - About 1,000 of the rabbits at UVic could be going on a road trip to Texas. A rescue ranch in the lone star state has offered to take the bunnies in. And closer to home a sanctuary in Coombs has also come forward with an offer to help the rabbits. It's a small victory for advocates who are desperately trying to find homes for the animals before the University begins culling them.

Time is ticking for the roughly 1,400 nuisance rabbits. Tuesday trappers will be on campus. There are two ways UVic can proceed once it has caught the bunnies. They can hand them over to permitted sanctuaries to be sterilized and kept, or they can have them killed.

The Wild Rose Rescue Ranch in Texas wants to take nearly two thirds of the rabbits. Laura-Leah Shaw is helping with the paperwork and the logistics. She says there will be plenty of fundraising to come up with the money to transport the animals.

While Shaw works with the Texans, Susan Vickery is helping the World Parrot Refuge in Coombs take up to 400 rabbits. Wendy Huntbatch insists the bunnies pose no financial hardship to the already struggling wildlife centre. She says other societies are covering the costs.

But just because people say they'll take the rabbits in, doesn't mean it's that easy. UVic has to see the wildlife permits before it can legally hand over the trapped rabbits. It also needs written proof from vets that the animals will be spayed or neutered.

Staff would like to be able to hand them over to permitted sanctuaries, but so far none have proven they have the appropriate paperwork to transport and house the rabbits. Staff need to know by the end of the week if any of the sanctuaries will have permits in time to take the trapped bunnies.