Baskets for Bunnies is a new nonprofit organization that assists rabbit rescues with supplies and funds. Founded by Gretta Parker, the organization hopes to take some of the fundraising burden off shelters, so they can focus their attention on rescuing more 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.

After a Florida rabbit breeder appeared on the news saying she was broke and would be forced to sell all 79 of her rabbits to a zoo as snake food, first euthanizing them with a homemade gas chamber, several rabbit rescues came together to help. The rescues raised money to provide the woman with the $8/bunny that was promised by the zoo and picked the bunnies up yesterday to be transported to various foster homes and shelters throughout the eastern US.

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.

Cindy Stutts of the House Rabbit Society‘s New York chapter, Rabbit Rescue and Rehab,was a guest on the Martha Stewart Show talking about responsible rabbit ownership and adoption.

For more information, see the Martha Stewart Show website.

This case really shows the importance of spaying/neutering your pet rabbit.  The owners of these rabbits said they started with what they thought were two female rabbits.  This wasn’t the case, and the rabbits kept breeding with each other. The final count was 78 when officials intervened.

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

Pepsi recently awarded grants for worthy causes through their Pepsi Refresh Project. Among the recipients was the Lucky Bunny Rabbit Rescue in Murrieta, CA which was awarded 15,000 dollars to build a Bunny Bungalow. The bungalow will house abandoned and homeless rabbits that are considered suitable for work as pet-therapy bunnies.

The bungalow will be built on the grounds of the Oak Grove Center, a school in Murrieta that serves children with a variety of problems and difficulties.

In addition to the grant, the rescue needs additional materials and volunteer time.

A complete list of needed materials and more on the bungalow can be found at the Southwest Riverside News Network.

Be sure to check out the adoptable bunnies at the Lucky Bunny Rabbit Rescue!

Calling all bunny rescuers: If you have an amazing bunny rescue story to tell, there’s a new website that wants to showcase it.  The site, the Great Animal Rescue Chase, is focused on bringing together a worldwide community of animal rescuers, sharing rescue stories, and inspiring more people to get involved in animal welfare.

The aim of the site is to highlight stories of rescues taking place all around the world of a wide variety of animals.  Currently, they’re a little short on bunny stories.  So if you have one, please share!  If you register on the site, you can upload your photos and type in your story directly.

The site also sponsors a monthly giveaway, where winners can direct a gift to their favorite animal charity.

You can also donate to the site’s charity partner, the Harmony Fund, which sponsors a number of noble charities across the globe.

For more info, see: www.animalrescuechase.com.

Side note: I helped design this website and worked closely with the organization’s founder, Laura Simpson.   She is a very inspiring animal advocate, and I think her passion shines through on the site.  She also owns a very cute bunny named Norman, who is featured on the site’s sidebar!