A generous donor has agreed to match donations up to $5000 to the House Rabbit Society until Thanksgiving (November 26, 2009). The money raised will go towards the Emergency Rescue Grant, a program that supports shelters involved in large rescues of many rabbits.
The Luv-a-Bun Rescue in Lake Worth, Fl has recently taken in 34 bunnies rescued from a mobile home. The rabbits were crammed into 3 cages jammed with both living and dead rabbits.
Several of the rabbits were relative newborns and many had never been able to hop due to the cramped conditions.
The recently taken in rabbits have been spayed and neutered by local veterinarians Renata Schneider and Stefan Harsch free of charge.
The Vancouver Rabbit Rescue and Advocacy in Vancouver, Canada has just released their 2010 calendar. The calendar is made up of submitted photos from rabbit-lovers. We submitted a few pics of Coco and Cosette, but we doubt they made the final cut. Proceeds from the sale of the calendar will go toward running the rescue. The calendar will soon be on sale, but a preview is available now on the VRRA website. Visit the site to check it out, www.vrra.org.
The Columbian Basin pygmy rabbit has been on the state of Washington’s endangered species list since 1993. The population declined so much that biologists took in the last 14 wild rabbits to create a breeding program.
Among the institutions collaborating in the breeding program is the Oregon Zoo, which has been breeding Columbian Basin pygmy rabbits since 2000.
This year the zoo welcomed 26 endangered kits, or baby rabbits. This brings the total to 73 kits for the year among all the breeding programs.
Although it may sound like a plot point in a comic book, there is actually radioactive rabbit poop in Hanford, Washington. As it happens 50 million gallons of liquid waste laced with radioactive salts were dumped in a radioactive reservation in Hanford more than 40 years ago. The dumping area is home to many jackrabbits. The rabbits’ warrens abut some of the dumping sites and the rabbits often lick the radioactive salt.
Recent stimulus money has aided the clean-up of the rabbit poop, which has trace amounts of radioactivity. Previously, large swaths of earth were dug out and disposed of to rid the area of the radioactive poop. Now, a helicopter is used to spot and map the piles of poop for crews to come in and clean up.
Biscuit is a 2 lb Dutch with an unusual means of transportation, a scooter. Biscuit accompanies her owner on his scooter while he travels to work at a produce stand. There she becomes the center of attention as people stop by to say hello and watch her sample the wares.
Her owner, Coleman Rogers, has had house rabbits for pets for the last 17 years. His first was left at his house by a friend, and he was soon hooked on raising rabbits. Each of his rabbits has been litter box trained and cage-free. Biscuit spends most her time in Rogers’s kitchen.
Jennifer Russell of Silver Run, Maryland is the owner of the world’s oldest living rabbit. At 15-16 years old, Heather was confirmed by the Guinness World Records earlier this month. Russell adopted Heather in 1995 with papers saying the rabbit was two years old at the time. According to Russell, Heather was quite the diva in her prime growling at cats that came too close, and while still spunky, the elderly rabbit now spends her time relaxing on the comforter and eating hay.
In Japan, home to many adorable and also very quirky things, there are rabbit cuddling cafes that people can visit to relax. Basically, patrons of the cafe can play with the resident rabbits, who have been trained to be amenable to petting and handling, and they can also eat rabbit-shaped food and buy rabbit-shaped pottery.
Rabbit Rescue Inc. of Ontario held BunFest on Sunday, August 23rd. The event brought bunny owners from all over for a day of education and pampering. Owners were able to chat with vets and rescue staff about health, diet, care, and a variety of other issues. Bunnies could get pampered with spa treatments. There was even a bunny cafe where the bunnies could have a snack and take a rest.
There was an adoption area where visitors could meet rabbits in search of forever homes. Rabbit Rescue, Inc. took in more than 600 rabbits last year. Each year since being established in 2001 the rescue has taken in an increasing number of rabbits.
Check out a related article from Mississauga.com and the BunFest website for more details.