It was near midnight on a rural road in New Jersey when Sharon Coughlin caught a glimpse of a fluffy white object at the side of the road. She drove on, but the thought of an animal possibly in need nagged at her.

“I made a U-turn and slowly drove up to the white fluffy object. My headlights shone on it. It did not move. I pulled off to the side of road and got out of the car.

“It was a rabbit! A tan and white rabbit. It was just sitting there, apparently uninjured, looking terrified. I love animals, but knew little about rabbits. I wasn’t sure how to pick it up or how it would react, but I knew I had to rescue the little guy.”

You can read the full story at The Great Animal Rescue Chase website. This site features articles submitted by people all over the world who have a rescue story (big or small) to share.

Various Rabbit Rescue Events

Saturday, September 24:

• Georgia House Rabbit Society Wine Tasting & Silent Auction, Marietta, GA
• House Rabbit Society Singapore Bunny Care / Adoption Event, Downtown East, Singapore

Sunday, September 25:

• spcaLA Rabbit Adoption Event, Los Angeles, CA
• San Diego House Rabbit Society Adoption Day, San Diego, CA
• Wisconsin HRS Madison’s Bunny Day, Madison, WI

(If your rabbit rescue is hosting an International Rabbit Day event, contact us, and we’ll add you to the list.)

Rabbit Care Information

Check out our articles in Rabbit Care, Rabbit Behavior, Rabbit Health, and New to Rabbits? sections for information on providing a safe, happy environment for your pet bunnies.  There is also a wealth of information on the websites listed on our Resources page.

Fun Bunny Gifts

• Make Your Own Toy Bunny (Sewing/Knitting/Crochet Patterns) on Etsy
• Bunny Notecards and Bunny Christmas Cards by My House Rabbit / Grizzly Bear Greetings
• Rabbit Jewelry, Art, Cards, Dolls, and Accessories by the Etsy Rabbit Team

Funny Bunny Videos

Bunny Binkying

Bunny Show Jumping

Baskets for Bunnies

This year, they have chosen seven rescues to aid:

• Zooh Corner, San Gabriel CA
• Little Furries Rescue, Brown Mills, NJ
• Gainesville Rabbit Rescue, Gainesville, FL
• Funny Bunny Sanctuary, Athens, WV
• Bunny Castle, Bishop CA
• Ohio House Rabbit Rescue, Columbus, OH
• Frisky Ferrets, Fuzzies, & Feathered Friends Rescue & Sanctuary, Youngstown, OH

In the future, Parker plans to expand Baskets for Bunnies to include a spay/neuter program and to support rescues internationally.

If you are interested in learning more about Baskets for Bunnies, the rescues they support, or donating, please visit them at their website or  find them on Facebook.

See the original news story of the breeder and a followup story.

Although the rescues have raised enough money for the “bailout”, they still need donations to reimburse costs for transportation, spay and neuter, and general care of these rabbits. Learn more about this rescue mission and donate to their cause at BunnyTransport.com.

Organizations involved with this mass rescue are:

• Little Miracles Rabbit Rescue
• Gainesville Rabbit Rescue
• Magic Happens Rabbit Rescue
• Clover Patch Rabbit Sanctuary
• Little Furries Rescue & Referral
• Animal Welfare Association
• Humane Society Naples
• Luv-A-Bun Rabbit Rescue

Crystal & Christin, two adult female rabbits available for adoption from Alabama Ears.

Now that the excitement of Easter has started to subside, shelters and rabbit rescues will begin to be inundated with surrendered bunnies.  Now is the time to show your support for rabbit welfare and rescue!

Here are a few options:

• Donate to the national House Rabbit Society (which funds national education efforts and Emergency Rescue Grants)
• Donate to local rabbit rescues, including House Rabbit Society chapters
• If you are an experienced house rabbit owner and have the space, sign up with a local rescue to foster bunnies in your home
• Volunteer with your local rescue
• Donate supplies (hay, litter, puppy-pens, etc.) to your local rescue

You may also want to put focus on Alabama-based shelters (e.g. Alabama EARS or Huntsville Friends of Rabbits), who may have to accommodate rabbits displaced from the tornadoes in addition to the annual post-Easter influx.

John C. Doub feeds Rosemary the rabbit at Virginia Rabbit Inc. Photo by Bill Tiernan, The Virginian-Pilot.

Located on the second floor of a Mack truck dealership in Chesapeake, VA, Virginia Rabbit Inc. provides shelter to 45 homeless rabbits up for adoption.  The rescue is run on a daily basis by Ashleigh Watts and was founded by her father John C. Doub 10 years ago.

From an article in the Virginian-Pilot:

“The tear-jerker stories behind the rabbits are quite familiar to Watts. Many of them are labeled “Vacation neglect,” as folks will often drop their pet bunny off when leaving for vacation and never return to pick it up.

“Black and white Reggie was dumped with a broken leg. Pepper was kept in a 10-gallon fish tank. Silver’s previous diet was hot dog buns, leading to the removal of all of her teeth. Pooh Bear is blind. Doub and Watts care for each as if it was their only.”

Read the full article on HamptonRoads.com.

For more info on Virginia Rabbit Inc., see their website.

For more information, see the Martha Stewart Show website.

If you live in the Baltimore area and would like to help, the House Rabbit Society of Baltimore, DC, and NoVA are looking for emergency foster homes for these bunnies. Email rabbitinfo@rabbitsinthehouse.org.

Paul Spereall with rabbit he discovered in trash bin. Photo by Jason Roberts.

In the past week, there have been multiple incidents of pet rabbits being discovered out with the curbside trash.

In Birkenhead, England (across the river from Liverpool), window workers Paul Spereall and  Paul Harvey went to toss a piece of garbage into one of the bins on the side of the road.  When they opened the lid, a cream-colored lop-eared rabbit jumped out at them.  The two men brought the rabbit back to their office and cared for it while they contacted the RSPCA.  The rabbit was dehydrated, but otherwise is good condition.

In Regina, Saskatchewan, the Hamel family discovered a pet bunny in a recycle bin out on the street with some hay and pellets.  With temperatures dipping to -16°F (-29°C) that night, the Hamels saved the bunny from a frigid demise.  After caring for the abandoned rabbit for the night, the Hamels contacted the Regina Humane Society.

This rabbit was discovered in recycle bin by Hamel family. Photo by Hamel family.

It is incredibly sad that stories of rabbits being abandoned out with the trash (or just set loose outside) keep popping up.  These two rabbits were lucky that a few good Samaritans discovered them, cared for them, and brought them to local shelters so they’d have a chance at a good life.

For more info, see:

Liverpool Echo
Leader-Post

20 rabbits were rescued from these dirty cages in Burrillville.

Sweet Binks Rabbit Rescue, based in Foster, RI, recently came to the rescue of 20 rabbits, 7 chickens, and 3 ducks who were living in deplorable conditions in Burrillville, RI.  The animals were severely malnourished, contained in dirty cages outside with no food or water.  There were bodies of dead rabbits in the cages as well; some had succumbed to starvation, others cannibalism.

Under the care of veteran rabbit rescuer Pamela Hood and the team of Sweet Binks volunteers, the rabbits have made significant progress in the past 10 days, gaining an average of two pounds each. 

However, Sweet Binks needs your help!  One of the rescued rabbits gave birth to 8 babies the other day, bringing the total number of rabbits from the cruelty case to 28.  If you would like to help Sweet Binks, you can make a donation through their website.

After just one day, the rescued rabbits can relax in a warm, clean environment.

For more information, see:
Sweet Binks Rabbit Rescue
Turnto10.com