HoundsGood: Chronicles of a Virtual Volunteer

My brother’s girlfriend’s mother found a kindle today.  No, not the electronic book reading device.  The proper name for an infant rabbit is a kindle or a kitten, though somehow “bunny” has been firmly wedged in the colloquial dialect.  The baby was found inside her dog’s mouth.  It was unharmed, though far away from a den or warren.  It’s eyes hadn’t even opened yet.  The natural instinct is to take it from the dog and take the foundling into the house.  Actually, the most important thing to do is to return the bunny to where the mother can find it.  Inspect him/her for injury. Rabbits masterfully hide injury and illness, but on a very young one, it is often apparent.  Look for lacerations, wounds and teeth marks.

If the rabbit is uninjured, as best as you can, place it near where it was found.  Keep an eye on him/her periodically, but do not hover.  Watching from a window is fine. If you can find the bunny hole, that is even better.  Make sure it is indeed a rabbit hole and not a snake hole however.  More often than not, if mom is nearby watching, she will tend to her infant.  Some folks may say that the rabbit is better off in the house.  However, inexperienced potential wildlife rescuers can do more harm sometimes.  If necessary supplies are not present, the bunny could die due to dehydration, over stimulation or other preventable conditions.

If the rabbit is very young and has apparent injuries, keep him or her dark, warm and quiet.  Place him or her in a small cat or dog carrier or secure box with blankets or other material to nestle in.  Keep them away from pets and commotion in a dark room until a wildlife rescuer can be called for instruction.  The ultimate goal for a wildlife rescuer is to return the animal back into their natural habitat if at all possible.  Some veterinarians also assist wildlife. However, unless the vet is affiliated with a wildlife rescue as a hobby or the animal is surrendered into the rescue’s care, you will be responsible for veterinary fees.  A vet’s office is a good place to call for a referral to local resources.  Keep in mind that rabbits are fairly safe animals to assist, where other wildlife, such as raccoons, can be illegal to possess even temporarily.

Sweet was a little rabbit who was given as a gift to a little girl for Easter whose parents were feeling a little guilty about their divorce. The boy also had a bunny. The children were split up and moved, and eventually thought the rabbits were a bother. A neighbor took them in. That would have been a noble thing to do, except for the fact that the neighbor also had 17 dogs and several cats all in a home with no more than square feet in living space. Terrified, the rabbit with no name cowered. Her ears never seemed to be erect, and her little feet were niddled on from below.

Luckily, I was able to get to her and her brother bun in time before all the animals went to the pound. This was sweet when I took her picture in someone’s hands.

This is Sweet, after some good food and lots of love from the nice folks at Gainesville Rabbit Rescue.  Her eyes sparkle, and who would have known about the unusual spots on her ears?  Sweet now has a wonderful home with a great owner and another sweet and mild mannered bun as a companion.  I remember the report of the first “meeting.”  Her new guardian brought their existing rabbit with them to meet Sweet, and they started grooming eachother.  A lifelong bond was created.

Please think twice before giving a bunny as a gift this Easter.

I know it is tempting to be want to be a “hero” by giving a very memorable gift, but please resist. Rabbits require a lifetime commitment. They live far longer than most people think they do. They have stress and illness signs that are very different or at least much harder to detect by an owner than a dog or cat, as rabbits, as prey, are masterful about hiding illness until its too late.  Sweet’s companion in the original house, Hamlet, could have died if left much longer, as his bowels were impacted already.

For more information, please visit http://MakeMineChocolate.Org .   Also, if you are looking to adopt, there are a number of great rescues I can recommend!  Please send me a note or comment with your home state and I will do my best to steer you.  To read the story of the rabbit Sweet was rescued with, CLICK HERE.

If you have researched for a long time and have decided that a house rabbit is right for you, please wait until after the holiday when unwanted bunnies, especially when they are a few months older and start maturing, are dumped at the shelters as someone didn’t realize what they were getting into.

Over the past year, I have received many emails asking me to protest the decision various chains have made on selling rabbits as pets.  Chains that have typically taken the stand against selling dogs and cats, like Petco or Petsmart, have continued to sell rabbits.   Because rabbits are the third most euthanized species at shelters, and they often suffer because owners did not research their care, they often suffer silently.  A neighbor might notice the declining condition of a dog, but never know a house rabbit is there. 

I have to tell you, I often don’t get involved with petitions, etc., as they tend to be a lot of folks saying “here, here,” but when pressed to take action, they want to sit on their hands and wait for someone to do it, they only want a dramatic protest to happen, or the despise the fact that they may actually have to talk to the folks with the opposing view.  In otherwords, it is very easy to jump on the bandwagon of saying someone or something shouldn’t occur, but no one has any good ideas on what should be done on the flip side.

I love talking about groups and people that are being proactive.

I would like to commend Wild Rescue, in Texas, for making a difference!   They have approached their local Petco to host rescued rabbits!   The two parties came to a great mutually beneficial arrangement.   The rescued rabbits would be more visible to the public by being at the store.  Instead of selling bred rabbits to anyone with the money, the homeless bunnies would only go to homes carefully screened by the rescue.   Employees would care for the rabbits under strict guidelines.   The rescue checks by their weekly to monitor progress.

So, this is win-win-win!  People who are ready for a rabbit in their life and have the ability to commit for life get the education they need, and know that they are making a difference by adopting rather than padding the pockets of a breeding mill.   Also, the rescue gets the chance for more awareness in the community to spread.   They can help the next bun in need a lot more quickly when they have more regular adoptions from people who care, which is the biggest win!   

See the Wild Rescue kiosk on their blog!

Just a subtle reminder

Please think twice before giving a bunny as a gift this Easter.

I know it is tempting to be want to be a “hero” by giving a very memorable gift, but please resist.

Rabbits require a lifetime commitment. They live far longer than most people think they do. They have stress and illness signs that are very different or at least much harder to detect by an owner than a dog or cat, as rabbits, as prey, are masterful about hiding illness until its too late.

For more information, please visit http://MakeMineChocolate.Org . You can also read my prior story, The Easter Bunny Blues, about a real life Easter bunny.

If you have researched for a long time and have decided that a house rabbit is right for you, please wait until after the holiday when unwanted bunnies, especially when they are a few months older and start maturing, are dumped at the shelters as someone didn’t realize what they were getting into.

(At left: “Boy Bunny,” now named Hamlet in the sad state we found him in)

“Boy Bunny’s” life started out like many bunnies do, unfortunately. He was purchased as a part of a pair of bunnies for a pair of children for Easter. The parents had been told that the rabbits were the same gender, but the truth was that one was a boy and one was a girl. Luckily, the thing the family did right was separate them so they couldn’t breed.

After a time, the parents separated, and the girl and her bunny lived with the mother, and the boy and his bunny stayed with the father. Until, of course, one of the children lost interest, and the neighbor who seemed to like animals, as he had many, was asked if he would take the rabbit, and he obliged. Several months later, he ended up with the girl bunny too.

The rabbits were saved from the shelter, but not much else. You see, little did the family know, or perhaps care, was that the rabbits were living in a home with two cats, eight puppies, and eight adult dogs. Cats and rabbits often live harmoniously. Some dogs get along great with rabbits too depending on the individual dog if properly introduced, but not all. If the dog has a high prey drive it is a no-no. But a 1,000 square foot house full of barking dogs, nosing at the rabbit’s feet through the wire of his cage terrified the poor little guy.

How did I meet these rabbits that no one would ever know were there?

The owner approached us as he was being evicted and had a “dog problem,” created by refusing to spay and neuter. We were told that his dog accidentally had a litter, but when we arrived, we found that three dogs had turned into 20 in the course of a year and a half.

As you can see from the photo, Boy Bunny’s ears were plastered to his heard, and her claws were enormously long. When we met the nice folks at Gainesville Rabbit Rescue, we learned that often times a Rabbit does not give any indication of him/her being sick before it is way too late. Everyone remembers the story of Peter Cottontail, whose mother taught him how to “freeze” to hide from predators. Domestic rabbits, and not just wild rabbits hide their illness as a defense. Many people are confused when their rabbit dies “all of the sudden.” In fact, it wasn’t sudden. They just hid it. Boy bunny was lucky to have been whisked out of there. His bowels were a little impacted, and if left unchecked, he could have eventually died from it.

He was renamed Hamlet and now lives a wonderful life as a happy rabbit should with a loving family. So does his housemate, whose name now is Chloe. They weren’t bonded, so were adopted by two different families who already had rabbits for them to interact with.

Please remember Hamlet and do not give your child a bunny for Easter. And do one more, encourage your friends and coworkers to “Make Mine Chocolate.”

MakeMineChocolate.org has an “Interactive” Rabbit who helps you decide if a rabbit is right for your family. A Rabbit, the third most euthanized shelter animal, is a wonderful family companion, but just like a dog or a cat, nothing less than a lifetime commitment will suffice.