Big Girls Rule!

Big, beautiful Bugs is our March Adorable Adoptable! She’s fifteen pounds of huggable heaven, with an angelic personality to match her divine good looks. And Bugs isn’t done growing yet. She’s a Flemish Giant, and could weigh as much as a mid-size dog by the time she’s an adult!

Bugs was found wandering the mean streets of Livonia, alone and frightened. She was just skin and bones when she came to us. Bugs ate us out of house and home, and we soon found out that her appetite for life is just as large as her appetite for hay and greens. Bugs loves everything and everybody!

Her gentle, laid-back demeanor makes Bugs the perfect choice for a family with children. She gets along well with other animals, and thrives on attention and affection. Bugs is too large for a cage or most pens, so she will need a room to call her own. Ideally she would have free run of the whole (bunny proofed) house.

We’d love to introduce you to Bugs, “in person”. One look at her lustrous red fur and silky long eyelashes and you’ll be hooked. Sit beside her for a snuggle and let her reel you in! Spring into spring with a new friend. Contact Carol at adoptions@rabbitsanctuary.org to set up a meeting.

Roaming Rabbits

Tucked away in the middle of Seto National Park, the tiny Japanese island of Okunoshima just might be the most “Aww”-inspiring place in the world! Just two and a half square miles, the island is home to a population of hundreds and hundreds…of rabbits!

Back in the 1920’s, Okunoshima, “Rabbit Island”, was used as a testing ground for chemical weapons by the Japanese government. After World War 2, Allied forces dismantled the weapons facilities and evacuated the island. The buildings were left to decay, and all traces of Okunoshima were erased from Japanese maps.

So where did the rabbits come from? Some say they were bred as laboratory animals to test the effects of poison gas, and were released by departing workers after the war. Others believe that a group of Japanese children on a field trip brought the rabbits with them to the island. Rabbits, being rabbits, rapidly made more rabbits, and the cycle continues to this day!

Today visitors to Rabbit Island can stay in a modern resort or a rustic campground, play a round  of golf, tour the visitor center and museum, and explore the ruins of the old factories. And wherever they go, they are accompanied by furry little creatures with ravenous appetites! The rabbits are friendly, climbing on tourists and begging for treats. Kind of like an afternoon at our sanctuary…

Prince Harry

Our February Adorable Adoptable, just in time for Valentine’s Day, is Harold! Harold’s past was a bit tumultuous. His first owners dumped him at a pet store, where he was just inches away from being sold as snake food. A concerned family rescued him and took him home, only to find that they were allergic. So Harold wound up with us.

It’s clear he’s been in a few scraps in his life, as evidenced by his tattered and scarred ears. But Harold is quite possibly the sweetest bunny that has ever hopped through our barns. He’s good-natured and affectionate, waiting patiently at the door to his pen for someone to come along and give him the attention he craves. Harold loves head rubs, and will even cuddle in your lap while you pet him!

If there ever was a rabbit who needed a home of his own, it would be Harold. Handsome, intelligent, and huggable, Harold is the complete package! Let’s make this the month that Harold finds true love with a deserving family. Could it be yours? Contact Carol at adoptions@rabbitsanctuary.org.

Cinnamon Sugar

He’s big, he’s brown, he’s the subject of this month’s Hoppy Endings blog! His name is Cinnamon, and he came to us from a small town in northeastern Michigan. Cinnamon was a treasured family pet, but sadly, his owner passed away from cancer. Relatives were unable to care for Cinnamon, so they turned to us for help.

A timid, gentle bun, Cinnamon slowly settled in to life at the sanctuary. He got along well with his bunny neighbors, and soon became a staff favorite. He loved to stretch out in his pen and watch them go about their work. But he was so quiet that potential adopters always seemed to overlook him.

Then one morning one of our long-term supporters arrived. She’d driven all the way across the state to visit us and meet our rabbits. When we introduced her to Cinnamon, it was love at first sight! By that afternoon, Cinnamon was on his way to his new home.

His new mom tells us that he is a delight, always uses his litterbox, and loves to hang out under the kitchen table. He has a hearty appetite, preferring an oat hay blend that she special orders from California. Spoiled? Perhaps, but we’d say he deserves it!

Want to find your own love connection? Contact Carol at adoptions@rabbitsanctuary.org!

Snow Bunnies

Snow! Love it or hate it, we’ve got a lot of it. And whether you spend your time shoveling sidewalks or building snowmen, you’re probably bundled up. Hats, gloves, down parkas—we humans just aren’t equipped to be outside for long in the cold. But what about our bunny friends? They’ve got fur coats, after all. Is it safe to take them outside in the winter?

The answer depends on your bunny. Some buns love snow, and enjoy frolicking in the drifts. Others (like many of us!) would prefer to spend their time sprawled across a heat duct. If your bun is the adventuresome sort, and you think he would have fun playing outdoors, keep a few things in mind.

First, your bun’s fur is no match for frigid winter weather. Wild rabbits develop thick coats that can withstand bone-chilling temperatures. Our domestic buns simply don’t have that feature. So keep playtime short, no longer than ten to fifteen minutes.

Secondly, keep him dry. Towel him off when he gets back in the house, and make sure there is no snow or ice stuck between his toes or in his fur. Make sure he has a warm place to curl up and rest, with no drafts to chill him. You may want to provide him with a Snugglesafe, a heating pad that’s safe for pets. (This is a great option for older, arthritic buns too).

If you want your bun to experience the fun of playing in the snow without actually taking him outside, bring the fun to him! Fill a clean litterbox with snow and let him dig and explore to his heart’s content. Many people put the box and the bunny in the bathtub to minimize the mess. Again, it is important to make sure that he is warm and dry when playtime is over.

Bun of the Month

January’s Adorable Adoptable is Kiwi! She’s round and fuzzy, just like the fruit, and just like a real kiwi, she’s delightfully sweet and tart. Kiwi’s got her own ideas about how things should be!

For starters, she’s not big on sharing. It would be best for Kiwi to be the only pet in your home. And she loves attention. She can be a little prickly at first, until she gets to know you. Patience and a soft touch work wonders. Once she’s decided you pass muster, she’ll be only too happy to let you shower her with affection!

Kiwi is a natural gymnast and prefers a living area where she can jump and climb. Just like Superman, she’s been known to scale tall buildings with a single bound! She’s full of energy, but after a long day of romping and wreaking havoc, she enjoys lounging inside her burrow box or curling up in her litter box and watching the world go by. Don’t think you can get anything past this bun! She’s avidly curious and wants to know exactly what everyone is doing at all times.

Think you’ve got what it takes to keep up? We would love to see Kiwi find a real home and happiness this year. Come by the sanctuary for a visit, and maybe you’ll discover that she’s just what you’ve been looking for to brighten up your winter, and your life. If you’re interested, contact our adoption coordinator at adoptions@rabbitsanctuary.org, or fill out an online application here.

Bags for Buns

It was a merry Christmas for our rabbit residents, thanks to the members of Bunspace (with a little help from our GLRS elves!)

April explores her goodies

Bunspace is a social networking site dedicated to house rabbit owners and their four-legged families. Every year they collect donations and distribute hundreds of “Bags for Buns” to rabbit sanctuaries all across the country. This year alone they raised enough money to give goodie bags to almost 700 deserving bunnies!

Shy Sullivan

Santa’s helper Carol and her team of elves handed out the bags, which were stuffed full of yummy treats like hay and dried fruit. The sacks also contained toss toys and chew sticks. The buns had as much fun playing as they did eating!

Thank you to the wonderful members of Bunspace for brightening the holidays for our precious animals! And thank you to Carol and her elves for handing out the goodies. We hope all of you have a wonderful and joyous holiday season!

The doctor is in!

Our sanctuary hosted a special guest on Sunday the 15^th. Dr. Lyssa Alexander from All Creatures

Dr. Alexander

Animal Clinic in Ann Arbor braved the blizzard to come speak with our staff and volunteers about health issues in rabbits. As the snowstorm raged outside, we were snug in the farmhouse learning the warning signs of stasis, the common causes of head tilt, and how to effectively treat pasteurella.

Dr. A taught us about the components of a healthy bunny diet (hay, hay, and more hay!) and the best way to trim nails (it’s easiest with a helper!). She demonstrated a complete do-it-yourself physical exam on both of our brave “demo bunnies”, Harley and Kiwi, who were rewarded for their cooperation with special handmade chew toys. She discussed the latest treatment options for arthritis, and introduced us to non-traditional options like laser therapy.

Brave demo bunny Kiwi

We are so grateful to Dr. A for her generosity! Rabbits are prey animals, and as such, are highly skilled at hiding disease and discomfort. With over 60 rabbits at the sanctuary at any given time, it can take some serious detective work to keep everybun healthy. Now that we all know what to look for, we can nip potential problems in the bud. Here’s to a healthy, happy holiday for all our furry friends!

A Sunny Day

We do our best to give our rabbit residents happy lives. While they are with us, they live in clean, roomy pens in barns that are heated in winter and air-conditioned in the summer. They’ve got boxes to snuggle in, and toys to play with. Our staff does everything they can to make sure our buns are well cared for and loved, including keeping them well fed.

It’s not always easy. Hay costs have skyrocketed, and it takes some creative maneuvering just to put dinner on the table for our over 75 residents! There’s no money for extras, like the fresh fruit that rabbits crave.

Sunny and her pal

That’s why we appreciate the little miracles, like the donation made in honor of Sunny, a beloved Holland lop, who passed away last month after seven and a half years of bringing joy to her family. Sunny spread sunshine while she was alive, and continues to do so after her passing.

Sunny’s dad sent us a check for $20.27, the amount in Sunny’s “treat fund” when she passed. He requested that we use the money to give our bunnies a special goodie, and that’s exactly what we did. Thanks to Sunny’s generosity, our sanctuary buns feasted on fresh blackberries and grapes, foods that they love!

There was enough fruit left over for another snack the following day. We are touched that Sunny’s family thought of us, and hope that they can smile, knowing what joy their precious rabbit helped bring to our GLRS rabbits. Thank you, Sunny!

Putting the HOP into HOPE

Some stories just beg to be told again, like that of 13-year old Holly. In 2012, Holly made it her yearlong goal to raise funds for the sanctuary. Her grand total? $1040, which she proudly presented to our president Tim.

Holly became inspired to help after volunteering at the sanctuary one day. She saved all of her birthday and allowance money, and solicited donations from friends and family. But she didn’t stop there.

Holly put her natural artistic talents to work by designing and crafting bunny charms out of clay, which she sold to friends and family. She used actual GLRS rabbits as models. “I looked online at Petfinder to see all the current bunnies up for adoption. I based each little charm off of a real bunny!” she said.

Board president Tim was stunned by the donation. “That is amazing for anyone, especially someone so young,” he said. The money will go into the general fund to help pay for all the supplies needed for daily operations at the sanctuary, like fresh greens, litter, pellets, and hay.

“The sanctuary is very frugal with our spending but there are real expenses we can’t go without,” he said. “Holly’s donation is so appreciated. Every donated dollar is.”