"Miriam Sakewitz" news

The sentence is the latest chapter in Sakewitz's sometimes bizarre story which began in 2006 when she was found with over 250 rabbits, some of them dead or in dire health.

It was just the latest problem for 47-year-old Miriam Sakewitz, who has served jail time in the past over a sometimes bizarre case of animal abuse and hoarding involving rabbits.

Miriam Sakewitz's troubles began in 2006, when police found nearly 250 rabbits at her home in Hillsboro, 88 of which were dead and in freezers. She is not supposed to have animals, but police said they found a dog and a rabbit in her garage.

Miriam Sakewitz initially avoided jail time by pleading guilty to dozens of charges. However, on June 29, neighbors took photos of a rabbit in her garage, a violation of her probation. She will now spend three days in jail.

Miriam Sakewitz was arrested and charged for animal neglect, hundreds of rabbits, both alive and dead, were removed from her property and she was ordered to get out of the bunny business, but neighbors say she is at it again.

More than 100 bunnies who have been in legal limbo for months will be offered for adoption next Saturday, April 28. The animals were taken away from their owner, who pleaded no contest recently to animal neglect charges.

Neighbors say they see signs that Miriam Sakewitz may again be collecting animals, despite a court order for her to have no animals in her custody during her five year probation period.

On Thursday, Sakewitz plead no contest to tampering with physical evidence, one count of second degree criminal mischief, five counts of fist degree animal neglect and five counts of second degree animal neglect.

Hillsboro police will continue to care for more than 100 seized rabbits, despite a state Supreme Court ruling.

Officials said Monday it is costing about $2 a day per rabbit to care for them. Multiply that by 200 rabbits and you get $400 a day. The city of Hillsboro has had them for 119 days, putting the total so far at about $47,000.

More than 150 rabbits at the center of one of the largest and strangest animal neglect cases in Oregon history will not be available for adoption Saturday as planned after the former owner gets a court to block the event.

A phone call from a concerned hotel clerk led police to a motel in Chehalis, Wash. The clerk reportedly became worried about the way Miriam Sakewitz spoke of the rabbits, then looked up her case on the Internet and called police.

Miriam Sakewitz's home on Northeast Kathryn Street was raided last month and nearly all of the rabbits found alive there were either sick or dying. Over 100 dead rabbits were found in her garage, their bodies stored in freezers.

Over 200 rabbits, many of them dead and others found clinging to life, were taken from a homeowner in Hillsboro.