GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A Gainesville man who neighbors say is responsible for an outbreak of loose rabbits in their neighborhood has been fined by the city for a second time.
The Gainesville Sun reports that 57-year-old Von "Aspen" Ruder owns about 25 rabbits, surpassing the city's two-bunny limit.
On Friday, Ruder was fined by Gainesville's code enforcement department for $521.50. In March he was cited $271.50.
In February, Ruder unsuccessfully petitioned the city to establish a medical exception that would allow him to keep the rabbits. He said the rabbits help with his Tourette's syndrome and PTSD from losing his leg more than 30 years ago in a rock-climbing accident.
Ruder denies being the cause of the rabbit outbreak in the quiet community, though he admits that some breed and get loose.