Hoppy Tales

From time to time, we’ll use this space to share with you the stories of some special GLRS alumni who finally found their forever homes. Today’s hoppy ending bunny is Pearl. Pearl’s rescuer, Debbie, and her mother were on their way home from watching fireworks one fourth of July evening, when they were startled to see a huge white rabbit sitting on the side of the road. They were even more surprised when the rabbit calmly allowed Debbie to pick her up, and sat quietly in her lap while she drove home.

The rabbit, who we named Pearl, didn’t appear to have been mistreated. She was clean and friendly, although slightly underweight. It’s always a mystery why people abandon their animals. Maybe they’re tired of the responsibility, or overwhelmed with the cost. Maybe they’re don’t realize that domestic rabbits can’t survive long on their own, or maybe they just don’t care. Whatever the reason, Pearl suddenly found herself homeless, and we were happy to take her in and give her the TLC she needed and deserved.

Pearl made quite an impression on us all with her affectionate disposition and gentle demeanor. It was with mixed emotions that we sent her off to live with her new mom, Jean. It’s always an occasion to rejoice when we find homes for our residents, but we do get attached to the bunnies! We were overjoyed when Jean sent us the following update:

“Pearl has undergone a name change, from Pearl to Cora, named after a very strong and wonderful neighbor lady that I knew and admired from my childhood. The name change did not seem to affect Cora one bit, never looked back as far as I could tell, food has always helped her through rough spots.

She has warmed hearts of all that have met her, rules our house, has my husband and I marked as VERY easy targets, and I suspect has gained a couple pounds in the past year.

I sit on the couch in the afternoon to watch Oprah with Cora at my side, usually sound asleep. Her head close by for face, neck, ear and ever so lightly, little index finger massage on her closed eye lids, I often feel her feet twitch, and see ears move slightly and only wonder what she could be dreaming of. At times I feel as I could cry tears of honor that this beautiful bun shares this with me. We could not be happier!!!! God is good!!!!!!!!!”

It’s never too late

Ten-year-old Tommy is one of our senior citizen buns. He’s lived at the sanctuary for the last eight years. Tommy started out as a classroom pet, but was surrendered to us when the teacher grew tired of caring for him. We took him in along with his mate, Sophie, and they settled into life at the sanctuary.

The years passed. Bunnies came and went. Some were adopted, others passed away. When Sophie died, we partnered Tommy with two other buns, and he outlived them too. Tommy was a fixture at the sanctuary. It seemed that no one would ever take notice of him, or take him home.

No one, that is, besides Karen. She’d been volunteering at the sanctuary for as long as Tommy had been a resident, and had naturally grown quite fond of him. After his most recent mate, Hollie, passed away at the age of 12, Karen decided that this sweet boy had had enough of institutional living.

“I wanted him to have a home and be spoiled for the last years of his life,” Karen explains. Tommy will be sharing his new digs with Abby the dog and Hershey the rabbit. “If they get along and bond-great. If not, that’s okay too.” Finally, Tommy has the loving family he deserves. Which just goes to show you, it’s never too late to find happiness!

Paving the way

Looking for the perfect present for that somebun special? Consider a GLRS gift brick. Available in three sizes to suit your budget, our gift bricks can be personalized with the message of your choice. Commemorate your favorite sanctuary resident. Memorialize a beloved pet. Or honor the animal lover in your life by dedicating a brick in their name.

The bricks will be installed at the sanctuary this summer. Your gift brick will serve as a permanent reminder to GLRS visitors that you value and support our work. Request yours today! For your convenience, you can shop online, or print out and mail in our handy order form. Prices start at just $75. And remember, gift brick donations are tax deductible.

Garage sale

The sign on our door says, “Please place all donations in the garage”. That’s where we keep supplies, like newspaper and litter. It’s also where our supporters can drop off recyclables, rabbit food, and old phone books for the bunnies. We don’t go in there every day, so imagine our horror when a woman dropping off some newspapers informed us that there was a live rabbit inside!

Bambi, as he came to be known, had been left in the garage in a wire-bottomed cage with no food or water. He was emaciated and covered with ticks and fleas. Who knows how long he had been in there? If it hadn’t been for our observant donor, Bambi would probably have died, all alone and afraid.

One of our dedicated foster moms stepped up and took Bambi home to recuperate. She removed the ticks and treated him for fleas and mites. He was dehydrated, so she gave him sub-Q fluids. She bathed his infected ears, and started him on Baytril, an antibiotic. She reports that he’s a healthy eater! He’s gained almost a whole pound in just the past week.

Maybe Bambi’s former owners thought they were doing the right thing by leaving us their bunny. But it’s hard to look at a rabbit in Bambi’s condition without thinking the worst. We’re just happy that his story will end well. Would you like to help? You can make a donation here.

Cinnamon sugar

It all started with one unwanted rabbit, and a camera. The rabbit was Cinnamon, a discarded Easter bunny, and the camera belonged to Sharon Stiteler, a writer from Minnesota. Sharon met Cinnamon at the St. Paul Humane Society and fell in love. Cinnamon responded to her affections with a disapproving glare. And the seed for Disapproving Rabbits was sown.

Disapproving Rabbits, Sharon and her husband Bill’s website, promises “All disapproval, all the time”. And do they ever deliver! A different rabbit is featured each day, always bearing a decidedly disgruntled look.

The Stitelers match each photo with an appropriately acerbic caption. Cinnamon herself gave every entry a seal of disapproval, and her own picture appeared every Sunday until her unfortunate passing two years ago.

Those of us who love rabbits know that there’s nothing quite as adorable as a bunny who’s doing his best to seem, well, unadorable!  See for yourself at http://www.disapprovingrabbits.com. Can’t get enough disapproval on the website? Pick up a copy of Disapproving Rabbits: The Book, available on Amazon, or choose from an assortment of Cinnamon-inspired merchandise like travel mugs, bumper stickers, or iPhone cases.

Think you’ve got a deserving disapproving rabbit? Send a picture to Sharon at drsubs@birdchick.com.

Change is good

Ever feel like you’re stuck in a rut? Tired of the same old routine? It’s nice to switch things up once in a while. And the same holds true for our rabbit friends. Just ask Hershey and Tommy’s mom, Karen.

Karen knows that bored bunnies are destructive bunnies, so she keeps her furry kids safely occupied with an assortment of bun-friendly toys. She has four sets that she rotates through, so every few weeks it’s like Christmas morning.

But Karen doesn’t stop there. Once a month, she completely rearranges the bunny playroom. “I move their big boxes and tunnels to new places in the room so that the place feels different and they feel more inclined to explore,” she says.

Hershey and Tommy love to inspect their new set up, and spend lots of time checking out their surroundings. This keeps them not just physically active, but mentally stimulated as well. Karen’s obviously got the right idea—her babies are ten years old and still going strong.

Want ideas for creative, inexpensive bunny toys? Stay tuned for an upcoming blog!

Dynamic duo

Who are those two gorgeous bunnies over there by the hay bin? Why, they’re Farah and Tiki, our resident glamour couple! Barbie and Ken have nothing on these two. Farah is a real beauty queen, with her snowy white fur and perfectly coordinated nose and ears. Her handsome husbun Tiki is a silver-blue stunner. Rumor has it he’s got quite a way with the ladies!

Farah and Tiki are real go-getters. They love to run and jump and play. And when it comes to food? Their enthusiasm is unbounded. Stand back and watch them charm extra treats out of the unsuspecting staffers! This pair knows how to kick back and relax too. At the end of a long day, you might find them lounging on their outdoor patio.

So what’s an attractive, exciting pair like this still doing at the sanctuary? Could it be that word hasn’t gotten out yet about how fabulous they are? We’re doing our best to change that. You can help. Tell everyone you know about this remarkable adoptable duo. Encourage them to stop by the sanctuary and say hello. We’re betting it will be love at first sight.

Would you like to meet Farah and Tiki? Contact Carol at adoptions@rabbitsanctuary.org.

Plus-sized personality

Buns come in all shapes and sizes, and the same goes for their attitudes. It’s easy to love a sweet, docile, cuddle bunny, and we have plenty of them at the sanctuary. But what about their not-so-affectionate bunny brethren? Can there be a happy ending for our less personable rabbits?

Just ask Teresa and Patrick! Teresa was looking for a bunny to share her home, and fell head over heels for Patrick, a tiny Dutch. Patrick had a reputation for being a bit snappish, but Teresa wasn’t fazed. How could anybun so irresistibly cute possibly be anything less than an angel? Teresa packed up Patrick and drove him home with her to Kalamazoo.

Less than a week later, Patrick let her know exactly how he felt about snuggling and kisses! Teresa found herself at the urgent care clinic, being treated for a nasty bite to the cheek. It wouldn’t be the last time Patrick drew blood. After several months of offering affection and being rebuffed, Teresa gave serious thought to returning Patrick to the sanctuary.

And then Patrick got sick. He developed a nasty ear infection, and had a bad reaction to the antibiotics used to treat it. For several days Patrick hovered on the brink of life and death, and Teresa realized just how attached she’d become to her crabby little furball.

Today Patrick is the picture of good health, and just as cantankerous as ever. But Teresa no longer considers trading in her little boy. She loves him, and is committed to him through thick and thin. “I did pledge to take care of that rabbit until death did us part,” she tells us. “However, who will precede whom into the great hereafter is still up in the air!”

Hoppy Anniversary!

Would you believe our little blog is two years old? We’ve enjoyed sharing stories about our resident rabbits, filling you in on all the latest sanctuary news, shining the spotlight on our hard-working volunteers, and giving helpful (we hope!) information about rabbits and their care.

Now we want to hear from you! What have you most enjoyed about the blog? Where could it use improvement? What are your favorite topics, and what subjects would you like us to tackle in our next two years of blogging? Your feedback is essential!

So feel free to tell us anything you think we should know. And if you like us, spread the word! Encourage your friends to follow our blog. When it comes to our rabbits and their supporters, the more the merrier!

Recycled recycling

We want to thank all of you who have participated in our electronics recycling program! You’ve helped us raise a substantial amount of money for our residents. But we have one change to announce: the company we use for this program has changed their policy. We can’t send in items one or two at a time anymore, rather, we have to wait until we have 25 pounds, and then they will send us a shipping label.

we take phone books too!

What does this mean for you? Just that instead of sending the items off on your own, you should bring your recyclables directly to the sanctuary. Drop them off in our garage or farmhouse foyer. Our helpful volunteers will sort and weigh the items, and mail them in when we reach the required limit.

Just as a reminder, we take cell phones of all kinds, smartphones, iPads, iPods, aircards, modems, and ink cartridges.  If you have any of these items, please consider making a donation when you are finished using them.

If you’d like more information, or would like to start a recycling drive in your community, please contact debbie@rabbitsanctuary.org. She will answer all your questions and get you set up. We appreciate all your help!