http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vC9taroEsI

Attention everyone who adopted a rabbit from House Rabbit Society! We need your photos and videos.

Blueberry & Rodney went home last week with their longtime bunny buddies, Ken and Alda. Ken and Alda have been coming in almost every week since March to spend time with their buddies, bringing them toys and treats and just making them feel loved. In the end, they moved to a new apartment where they could have pets just so they could adopt Blueberry and Rodney. These are two lucky buns!

He looks surprised, doesn’t he? It isn’t often we know the exact birthday of a bunny, but we do happen to know that Bruno was born August 17, 2006. That’s when he and his six siblings were found in the back of a pickup truck. The owner of the truck thought they were newborn pit bulls (!) and took them to the local shelter, where Marisa recognized them as bunnies and rescued them. Maya, a nursing mother rabbit from San Jose Shelter, generously agreed to raise the orphans as her own.

Despite his early resemblance to a pit bull, Bruno is quiet and well-mannered. He likes cilantro, dried papaya, banana slices, and hay. He has excellent litterbox habits. And he has yet to attack anyone. He is hoping his stay at the Rabbit Center will help him find the perfect home, where he hopes to be spoiled and fussed over.

For his birthday, Bruno has asked for a Michael Vick chew toy.

Hi! We're Sunflower and Sabrina, mom & daughter, and looking for a safe haven to call our home!  All of Sabrina's siblings have been adopted, but the two of us share a special bond and have stayed together. We watch out for each other and love to snuggle side-by-side. We are still a bit shy around people, but that doesn't mean we don't like to play!

Currently, their foster home can only keep them short-term and so we need to find a new foster home or permanent home ASAP.  Please help!

If you are interested in these two wonderful and mellow rabbits please contact Jennifer, at (650)255-6764 or via e-mail at jennifer@ rabbit.org.

Brownie and Honda have retired from the Rabbit Center and are settling in at Harvest Home (that luxurious bunny retirement home out in Tracy). They left without waiting for us to organize a retirement party (I guess they didn't want that gold watch!) but we do want to wish them all the best, and hope they'll be very happy in the herd!

PEACHES-I AM AT RISK!

Hello, my name is PEACHES and I’m a gorgeous, peachy tan female rabbit. I’m not quite sure how old I am, but everyone thinks that I’m rather young. When I came into the shelter, I was drab looking and immediately gave birth to babies. I am AT-RISK because I am slightly cage protective. But once I comfortable, I love head rubs and doing happy hops for people to watch. I only have until this weekend until I will be euthanized. Please help me!

If you are interested in Peaches please contact Jennifer, HRS Educator-in-training at (650)255-6764 or via e-mail at jennifer@rabbit.org.

Thanks!

Hello. My name is Winston and I’m a handsome Rex rabbit. My fur is velvety soft so is awfully smooth to the skin. I’m a shy, regal looking fellow who perks up when given room to roam and mellows out when a gentle hand is petting my head. I was dumped at the shelter during the nut and tagged as a stray rabbit, so not much history in the databases for me to share with all of you. The reason why I’m writing though is because unfortunately, the shelter that I am at is getting full, and I’m on our volunteer’s ‘watch’ list to be rescued or else I will be put down to sleep. I’m a healthy, male rabbit who will be neutered if I can find a permanent or even a temporary home. The volunteers who work with me have also noticed that I’m fairly clean and know how to use my litter box as well! Please help me. I need a second chance.

For more information, please call Donna Jensen, House Rabbit Society/Burrow Inn representative at (650) 994-1012 or via  e-mail at san-francisco@rabbit.org OR you can contact Jennifer Lee, House Rabbit Society Educator in training at (650)255-6764 or e-mail at jennifer@rabbit.org. Please help us out, our time is running out.

LAVERNE

and SHIRLEY

Hello there, our names are Laverne and Shirley. We’re two rabbits that came into the shelter in really poor condition. The day that we came in, a volunteer was asked to come into the room to check on us, but she had claimed that she didn’t see us anywhere in the room. That was because there was a large towel covering our cage and a ‘Please do not disturb’ sign posted on top of it. When she finally realized that we were under that towel, at first she was nervous because she had no idea what to expect. To her delight though, we popped our heads out and poked our noses out through the cage begging for some attention. She was quite confused about the ‘Do not disturb’ note but soon learned that it was because we were labeled as a “possible abuse case” situation and to be treated with great care. Delving deeper into our situation she discovered that we used to be outdoor hutch bunnies and given no food or water. Even worse, whenever we were allowed out of our hutch, a ribbon was tied to one of our hind legs to keep us in place. THEN, somebody said that we seemed a bit dirty, and we were hosed down and drenched in water. So when we got to the shelter, we were soaked, severely underweight and had injuries to our ears and parts of our bodies. You would figure with a past like that, we would be completely terrified of everything! However, we simply just wanted some lovin’ and was ecstatic to see the volunteer open our cage to give us some attention. We kept sniffing and sniffing her and couldn’t get enough of her pets even when she was checking out our ears. Then she placed some greens and this wonderful oat hay in our litter box and WOW, we just gobbled everything up! For the next few weeks, each day a rotation of people would come into give us the same treatment and we were pleased as punch! In return for the greens and the hay, we calmly let these humans pet and groom us and check out our injuries. Now, because our shelter is getting full, we’re on the ‘watch’ list for euthanasia. The way we look, we aren’t really your normal cute fluffy bunny to look at. Our ears are a bit mangled and we are still trying to get to our normal weight. Again, despite our injuries and our not so pleasant background, we are really friendly and love human attention. The volunteers who work with us are now incredibly anxious to find us if not a permanent home, at least a temporary home because they think that we need this chance to live. Is there anyone out there who would accept us for who we are and know that if we are loved, we will reciprocate in kind? If so, please call Donna Jensen, House Rabbit Society/Burrow Inn representative at (650) 994-1012 or via e-mail at san-francisco@rabbit.org OR you can contact Jennifer Lee, House Rabbit Society Educator in training at (650)255-6764 or e-mail at jennifer@rabbit.org. Please help us out, our time is running out.

Fred, our toothless big white bunny, passed away last week. He was diagnosed with liver lobe torsion last Tuesday and rushed to VCA for surgery. Two of Marinell’s big white bunnies came to donate blood, but Fred died as Dr. Harvey was preparing for the difficult surgery.

I never got to know Fred well—he always impressed me as a quiet gentleman—but I was struck by how many friends he had made at the shelter. In the email responses to news of his death, several people commented that they had hoped to adopt Fred. Karen C. talked about her hopes of having another “big bun with no teeth” to sleep under her bed. Karen J. had wanted to enlist him as a companion to her bunnies. Chris recalled receiving moral support from Fred as he took on new responsibilities at the shelter. In his short life, Fred touched a lot of people.

Terry describes meeting him at the Martinez shelter: “He was an adolescent then and he was sleeping spoon-style with a little girl bun. The little girl bun looked so peaceful and serene stretched out with her back against his chest. It was as if Fred were her adopted mom. With his bottom incisors grown up to his nose and fur packed between his teeth (he had fur mites and did his best to groom himself), Fred was scheduled to be euthanized the next day.” Fred was brought into the Richmond shelter, and HRS mounted the Tooth Fairy campaign to raise money to get his misaligned front teeth pulled.

In spite of his perpetually orange nose (from all those grated carrots), Fred was a dignified bunny. His foster dad gave him the name Captain Fred, “to give him position and dignity.” Terry sums it up: “Fred was sweet and gentle and above all dignified. It is good to know that he was thought highly of and well-loved, and didn't die unwanted and neglected at the Martinez shelter.” Rest in peace, Captain Fred.

Valentino's been waiting a long time (three years!) but it was worth it--yesterday he went off to his new home, accompanied by his true love, the beautiful and sweet Claire (at left). After living almost next door to each other for months, they finally met and it was love at first sight. We'll miss them both but wish them all the best.