This holiday season, there are several ways you can help support rabbit rescues without going broke.

1. Chase Community Giving (vote via Facebook)
Chase Community Giving is a program run by Chase that will allow Facebook users to vote for local charities and non-profits, and help direct Chase corporate philanthropy dollars to eligible organizations in the following focus areas: education, healthcare, housing, the environment, combating hunger, arts and culture, human services, and animal welfare.
Vote for rabbit rescues/House Rabbit Society chapters near you

2. iGive.com
Find a local rabbit rescue, register with iGive and shop at brand name online stores through the iGive Mall. A portion of each purchase is donated to your cause.
Start shopping

3. The Animal Rescue Site $100,000 Shelter+ Challenge
Help The Animal Rescue Site choose which eligible Petfinder.com animal rescue organizations will receive special funds to help animals! You can cast one vote every day for your favorite rescue organization.
Vote for your local rabbit rescue today

4. Purchase Broadway tickets through Givenik
Buy discounted Broadway tickets through Givenik.com/hrs and 5% of your purchase is donated to the House Rabbit Society.
Purchase tickets

Rabbit Haven reports that Copper, the rabbit saved from euthanasia, is settling in nicely at his new permanent home with the rescue. Experienced bunny volunteers are already making progress getting Copper socialized with humans. If all goes well, they hope that after he’s neutered, he will form a bond with a spayed female rabbit as well.

From their press release:

On Monday, November 23, 2009, Kathleen Olsen, Executive Director of the Tacoma Humane Society, agreed to allow Rabbit Haven of Gig Harbor, WA., to take Copper. Copper was picked up and brought to Rabbit Haven by Sue Brennan, the rescue’s founder. “We are thankful that we could work with the Tacoma Humane Society to find a solution for this very famous rabbit,” said Brennan. “The Tacoma Humane Society does wonderful work and has found homes for many bunnies and other animals, and we’re grateful for what they do. At Rabbit Haven, we have bunny specialists well-equipped to handle even the most terrified and anxious rabbits, who sometimes bite out of fear and because they’ve been so mistreated in the past. Copper is a healthy, rambunctious teenage rabbit who will get the love and care that he needs to turn into a good house bunny.”

“This was a potentially sad story that had a very happy ending,” said Brennan. “House rabbits are wonderful, intelligent pets with great senses of humor. They can be litter-trained, do tricks, and more and more families are finding out how fun it is to share their homes with a house rabbit. We hope that Copper’s story will inspire more people to learn about house rabbits, and to support the work of animal shelters.”

Copper has already started to show progress at Rabbit Haven. Under the care of highly experienced rabbit experts, he has even started to ‘purr’ when held (rabbits purr by chattering their teeth.) At Rabbit Haven, Copper will continue receive the attention and care he needs to recover and learn to trust and socialize with humans. He will be neutered and, if possible, he will eventually be ‘bonded’ with a spayed female rabbit, as rabbits are happiest when they live in pairs and groups. Rabbit Haven will continue to work with local rescues to find homes for abandoned and mistreated rabbits.

For more info, visit Rabbit Haven’s website.

Copper purring in the arms of Chris, one of Rabbit Haven’s most experienced volunteers.

A story about a rabbit scheduled to be put down after biting a shelter volunteer has gathered attention from around the world. Copper the rabbit was living at the Pierce County Humane Society in Tacoma, Washington. A few days ago, he bit a volunteer so severely she needed to seek emergency medical care.

The shelter decided Copper must be euthanized. Although scheduled for death yesterday (Sunday), the unavailability of a vet to perform the euthanasia procedure bought Copper one more day. After an outpouring of protests and pleas from rabbit advocates worldwide, the shelter officials finally agreed today to let Rabbit Haven of Gig Harbor, WA take Copper in as an alternative.

For more info, see:
KATU.com
KomoNews.com
TacomaKomo
Rabbit Haven

Megan from Luv-A-Bun has kindly shared an update about the 34 rabbits they rescued in Lake Worth, Florida:

The babies are 4 weeks old in the pix and the adults are doing fabulously after everything they went through. Notice the bunny that has a heart on its side!

We have a pair traveling to a rescue in TN this weekend via the Bunderground Railroad and another pair going to a rescue in Tampa Thanksgiving weekend. It has been so heart warming to meet so many nice people who all share the same interest of helping the bunnies.

Thanks Megan and Luv-A-Bun for all your hard work!

Congratulations to Sweet Binks of Rhode Island for adopting out its 1000th rabbit today. The lucky bunny is called Maggie.

For more info, see: Sweet Binks Rabbit Rescue.

As the owner of one especially mischievous rabbit, I loved the anecdote told by Joy Gioia of the Missouri House Rabbit Society in the St. Louis Suburban Journals:

Belle loved to play with decorative pillows. She once used her nose to push one from the head of the bed to the foot of the bed and onto the cat sleeping on the floor. It hit the cat, Paws, with a plop.

The bunny hopped in a way that made Joy Gioia think she enjoyed what she had done.

“I just watched an animal size up a situation, think up a joke and carry it out,” Gioia said. “I know people who don’t have that type of humor. (Bunnies) have a wicked sense of humor.”

Gioia started out as a wildlife rehabilitator who specialized in cottontails. When a park ranger brought in an injured domestic rabbit, Gioia embarked on a new journey: she became chapter leader of the House Rabbit Society of Missouri.

Now Gioia and her team of volunteers foster rabbits in their homes and educate the public about proper rabbit care. They are holding Bunny Expo 2009 on June 7, 11am – 4pm at the Humane Society of Missouri. The expo will feature free nail clippings, information booths, photo sessions, children’s activities, and seminars.

For more info:
Suburban Journals
Missouri House Rabbit Society

I wrote an article for the local paper here in southeastern CT about the benefits of adopting a rabbit in honor of February being “Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month.”

Here’s an excerpt:

If you are uninitiated to the world of bunnies, you may not realize that February is “Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month.” So in the spirit of spreading awareness, here are a few benefits of adopting a pet rabbit from a rescue or shelter.

But before you get too excited about getting a rabbit, it should be noted that although rabbits make wonderful indoor companions (who can be easily litter trained), they are not low maintenance pets. Rabbits require the same amount of care and attention as cats or dogs, and they can live around 10 years or more. But if you and your family are willing to make the commitment, read on!

Read the full article here >

PETCO announced today that it is phasing out its rabbit sales. Instead, the chain of pet stores is expanding its rabbit adoption efforts across the US. According to PETCO CEO Jim Myers, “Rabbits are great companion animals, and we believe PETCO can play a pivotal role in partnering with animal-welfare groups to connect responsible pet parents with happy, healthy neutered rabbits through in-store adoptions nationwide.”

The shift in policy is welcoming news to the thousands of rabbit rescues overrun with abandoned bunnies in need of forever homes.

For more info: http://www.petconews.com/2008/11/petco-moves-to-adoption-only-for.html

As a follow up to my post, Pet Rabbits Affected by National Housing Crisis, here is a link to another article about the Sacramento SPCA and their influx of stray rabbits. This article includes a video that shows their facility and a lot of their available bunnies. I found the beginning of the video to be a little ominous… I think it was because of the black and white background and the choice of music. Plus, the rabbit they showed (from the shoulders up) had a really skinny neck and looked a little robotic. However, the rest of the video was very informative- it makes it very hard for people resist adopting one (or more) of these bunnies.

http://www.sacbee.com/204/story/1260700.html

A new rabbit rescue in Roseville, CA will host their Grand Opening event on September 27, from 4-8pm at the Roseville PETCO on 1917 Douglas Boulevard.

If you live in the area, you can join in on the festivities, which include a ribbon cutting ceremony, petting stations, a silent auction, games, prizes, and of course, the opportunity to adopt a rabbit.

Leaps & Bounds Rabbit Rescue began when Kim DeWoody and Nola Williams decided to dedicate their volunteer efforts solely to the special needs and requirements of rabbits. The rescue cares for its rabbits in foster homes, providing them with medical attention, socialization, and retraining as needed.

If you would like to support Leaps & Bounds, you can volunteer with them or foster a bunny. Donations are also appreciated.

For more information:
Leaps & Bounds Rabbit Rescue Website
Leaps & Bounds Petfinder Page
Grand Opening Press Release