Long distance love

Bessie

Our sanctuary is fairly well known here in the Ann Arbor area, but did you know that we make love connections all across Michigan and beyond? Thanks to our friends at Petfinder.com, anyone can “meet” our adoptable rabbits, anywhere, anytime, from the convenience of their own computer.

Former resident Bessie can attest to that. She found her new home all the way across the state in Kalamazoo. Bessie’s new mom fell in love with her the minute she saw Bessie’s picture on Petfinder. She drove two hours to the sanctuary to get acquainted. Our handsome boy Patrick also made the trip to Kalamazoo with his new parents.

Elliot

We’ve placed our fair share of bunnies in Ohio too. Mr. Hopsome, Olivia and Elliot each moved to the Toledo area, and Leo traveled all the way to Columbus. Biscotti’s new mom made the three hour trip from Cleveland to pick up her little girl.

Olivia

But that’s not all. A few of our bunnies have relocated halfway across the country! Ava now lives the good life in Illinois, while little Sassy ventured to Virginia with her new family. The award for best traveler, however, goes to Jules. Her new parents came up from Georgia, and took Jules back home with them on a private plane!

Thinking about adding a furry bundle of joy to your family? Curious about our residents? Browse through our selection on Petfinder and see who catches your eye. It could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

Second second chances

 

In honor of Adopt-A-Rescued Rabbit Month, we’re reposting some of our favorite Hoppy Endings!

Poor Mocha! Her first family didn’t want her, and she soon found herself homeless for a second time when the people who took her in decided she was too much work. They dropped her off with us, and that might have been the end of the story. But one day soon after, Helen and her daughter Hannah came to the sanctuary, looking for a bunny to love. Mocha caught their eye.

It was a bit of a rough adjustment for them all! Mocha’s litterbox habits weren’t the best, for one thing, and she suffered from recurrent bouts of diarrhea. On top of it all, her new family soon discovered Mocha was deaf and possibly visually impaired.

Helen and Hannah didn’t give up. They found Mocha the best veterinary care, adjusted her diet, and learned how to communicate with her despite her handicaps. Today Mocha is a treasured member of the family. She’s even bonded with Boomer, the family dog! The two of them share a veggie treat daily.

Mocha loves to spend the afternoon in Hannah’s room, helping with her homework. “I really enjoy Mocha’s company,” says Hannah. “Hanging out with her makes me feel really happy and it sends a warm glow down my body.” Now that Mocha feels secure, her playful side has emerged. “Mocha is a really silly bunny and makes me laugh a lot,” Hannah tells us.

How fortunate that they didn’t give up when the going got tough! Helen and Hannah couldn’t be happier with Mocha. “She’s a great little bun,” says Helen.

A real treat

*In honor of Adopt-A-Rescued Rabbit Month, we’re reposting some of our favorite Hoppy Endings! Today we’re offering you a double header. Read about Snickers here, and Bentley down below!*

Snickers’ story is one we hear all too often. A rabbit is purchased to be a child’s pet, and the child grows up/moves away/loses interest. Or in Snickers’ case, enlists in the Air Force! The rest of the family didn’t have time for Snickers. He became horribly neglected, confined to a small cage with nothing to do but eat. As a result, he grew into quite the butterball. By the time he reached us at the sanctuary, Snickers was several pounds overweight.

Excess weight can lead to a number of physical problems in rabbits, but thankfully Snickers was relatively healthy despite his girth. We put him on a diet at once, and started the process of socializing this lonely boy. Snickers responded well to the attention, but there’s no substitute for a loving home. We were hopeful when Kelly stopped by the sanctuary one day, searching for a mate for her girl bun, Zoey.

Zoey had been suffering from recurrent bouts of stasis, a gastrointestinal disorder. Kelly thought that having a bunfriend around might help stabilize her. Snickers seemed to be the perfect candidate. Kelly and Zoey took him home, hoping for a love connection.

It was a match made in heaven! Kelly tells us that since Snickers came along, Zoey hasn’t had any episodes of stasis. Snickers is now down to a healthy weight, and gets plenty of exercise romping around with Zoey. He enjoys being held, Kelly says, and often she will carry him around with her while she makes breakfast. “He’s beautiful,” she says. “He is wonderful. He’s brought so much joy to us. I love him dearly.”

Another hoppy ending

Do you remember the Tuttle Hill gang? They’re the bunnies who were living in squalor just minutes from the sanctuary. We managed to save the whole group, including today’s hoppy endings star, Bentley.

Bentley was extremely shy and scared when he came to GLRS. He’d never been cared for by a human before, and wasn’t sure how he felt about us. He was about to get a crash course in bunny love, taught by his new mom, Diana!

“Bentley’s such a sweetheart!” she tells us. It didn’t take long for him to discover the joys of being a pampered house rabbit. Today he loves pets and isn’t afraid to do whatever it takes to get them, including climbing on top of Mom’s computer keyboard and parking himself there until she gives him the attention he demands. Afterwards he’ll binky and collapse into a flop, legs stretched out behind him in true “contented bunny” fashion.

There was a time when Bentley didn’t know where his next meal was coming from, but those days are behind him now. “Bentley loves to eat!” says Diana. “He knows the sound of his food being opened and comes running!”

Diana assures us that Bentley is eagerly adjusting to life in a real home, and she couldn’t be more pleased. “He’s been such a great addition to the family,” she says. “We’re so happy we decided to adopt him!”

Want to be part of your own hoppy ending? Check out our adoptables here!

Home Sweet Home

In honor of Adopt-A-Rescued Rabbit Month, we’re reposting some of our favorite Hoppy Endings!

You may remember Bessie from one of our earlier blogs. She’s our sometimes temperamental resident “Queenie”. Well, lately things have changed for our Bessie! She’s found her forever home, and she even has a new big brother, Omega the chinchilla!

Bessie’s new mom, Patti, first discovered Bessie on Petfinder. “I fell in love with her from the moment I saw her picture,” says Patti. “She had such a grumpy bear face-she caught my eye and I just wanted to give her all the love she deserves.”

Bessie enjoys the freedom to explore in her new home. “She’s out of her Queen-worthy condo as soon as I open the door for her and has decided on her favorite little nooks and hiding places,” says Patti. Bessie’s appetite is undiminished, Patti says. “She gets SUPER excited for dinner time and literally BOUNDS into my lap to see what yummy goodies she can get!”

“She’s a delight,” Patti tells us. “I adore her.  She’s perfectly suited to me and my lifestyle – quiet and calm and relaxed.  She has seemed calmer by the day. She really seems to be adapting well to being my number one girl! I’m as in love with her now as I was from day one.”

Autumn leaves

*In honor of Adopt-A-Rescued Rabbit Month, we’re reposting some of our favorite Hoppy Endings!*

Who could forget Autumn’s story? She’s the starving little bunny who was abandoned at an Ann Arbor Petco in the fall of 2009. Petco staffers called us, and one of our volunteers, Debbie, went out to pick Autumn up and bring her back to the sanctuary. Shortly thereafter, much to everyone’s surprise, Autumn gave birth to eight kits! Sadly, only three lived. We named them Sherlock, Nugget, and Max.

It’s a miracle that Autumn survived, and even more miraculous that any of her babies did. The little ones thrived under our care, and one by one were adopted into loving homes. Autumn stayed behind, slowly recuperating and learning to trust humans again. We weren’t sure if she would ever fully recover from her ordeal. It was clear that it would take someone special to bring Autumn out of her shell.

Then one spring day, Mari and her son Corey came into the sanctuary. They were looking for a rabbit to share their home with, and promptly fell head over heels for our Autumn. Could they be just what she needed to feel safe and secure?

We make a practice of following up with our adopters, checking in to make sure everyone is adjusting to life with a bunny. Autumn’s progress reports were glowing. Just this month, we received the following update from Autumn’s new family.

Mari tells us that Autumn likes to camp out on the AC vents, but her favorite place to curl up is in Corey’s lap, keeping him company while he watches TV or plays video games. Autumn can maneuver her way through or around any baby gate. She has Mari and Corey well trained. Bedtime is banana time, and they’d better not be late serving it!

“Thanks for checking on Autumn, we are enjoying her so much.” Mari says. “She is a very entertaining bun and it’s hard to believe she was ever small, starving and scrawny. She is a little butterball now!!”

Matchmaker, matchmaker

It’s a magical moment, when one of our rabbits finally finds his or her forever home. It’s what we work towards every day. There’s more than random chance that brings together a bunny with the perfect new parents. Meet Carol, the woman behind so many of our bunny love connections. As Adoption Coordinator, it’s her mission to make sure our rabbits find the best possible new homes.

GLRS Adoption Coordinator Carol holding Sherlock.

Suppose you decide you’d like to adopt one of our rabbits. Carol will ask you to fill out an adoption form. She’ll ask you questions about your household, how many children you have, what kind of schedule you keep. She’ll direct you to Petfinder.com, where you can take a look at our available adoptees and decide which ones you’d like to meet.

Next, Carol will invite you to the sanctuary where you can spend time with each of your potential new housemates. This face-to-face meeting is vitally important. It gives Carol a chance to evaluate how you and the rabbit interact, and how comfortable the rabbit seems. Carol makes sure that shyer bunnies go to quieter homes, and that families with children adopt a bunny that likes to be handled.

Once you and your rabbit have chosen each other, Carol will collect the adoption fee, and provide you with a “Bunny Goodies” bag, loaded with a wealth of information about rabbit care. She’ll give you her cell phone number, so you can reach her at any time with questions or concerns. She’ll follow up with a phone call within the next couple of days to see how everyone is adjusting.

It can be hard to say goodbye to the bunnies! Carol sends them off with a snuggle and a kiss. She knows that she’s done everything she can to ensure that the rabbits in her charge have a good life, and that their forever home will be a happy one.

*February is Adopt-A-Rescued Rabbit Month! Do you have room in your home and heart for one of our sweeties?*

Sponsor me!

Have you always wanted to own a rabbit, but didn’t have the necessary time/space/agreeable spouse? Do the next best thing. Become a bunny sponsor!

For about fifty cents a day, you can provide food, bedding, veterinary care, and toys for your favorite bun (or pig or cat!). Choose from over 70 of our residents. You’ll receive a sponsorship certificate, photo, and biography of your chosen animal.

Sponsorships are $45.00 for three months, $90.00 for six months, or $180.00 for a year. Pay in full, or in easy installments of just $15.00 per month.

You can even make arrangements with our staff to meet your chosen rabbit “in person”! See for yourself the difference a caring sponsor can make. You’ll feel great, knowing you’ve done your part to give a deserving rabbit (or pig or cat!) a better life.

To sponsor a rabbit online, click here. To sponsor by mail, click here.

“Great” news!

Have you heard about Frederic the Great? He’s the scrawny rescue rabbit who’s setting the publishing world on fire with his new memoir,  “Confessions of a Bunny Blogger”! In this juicy tell-all, Fred, a former GLRS resident, chronicles his adjustment to life in his forever home.

Experience the excitement as Fred explores his new surroundings. Follow along as he forms a bond with his eager, yet somewhat inept, human mom. Enjoy his thrilling exploits as he navigates the sometimes rocky dating scene in search of true love.

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll help Fred’s friends! Two dollars from the sale of each book goes directly to the sanctuary. “Confessions” is a House Rabbit Society recommended read, and is the perfect Christmas or Hanukkah gift for the bunny lover on your list. Order your copy today.

Want more of Fred’s wit and wisdom? Follow him on Blogspot.

Hidden treasure

Montel is the kind of bun who doesn’t draw attention to himself, and that’s a shame. It’s all too easy for this non-descript little boy to be overlooked! A lovable cuddler with thick brownish gray fur, Montel thrives on attention. Stop by his pen and see him race out to greet you and collect pets!

Montel is our resident Cardboard King. There’s nothing he likes better than a big, sturdy box. He’ll climb up on top and survey his surroundings, then decorate the box with specially gnawed access holes. When he’s finished playing, he’ll curl up inside for a cozy snooze.

Could Montel be the bun for you? He’s fun-loving and curious, affectionate and energetic, and eager to find his new forever home. Would you like to meet him and see for yourself? Contact Carol at adoptions@rabbitsanctuary.org today!