AR-News: What's New? at House Rabbit Society - Easter 2004
C Cwynar
anniepotatoes at msn.com
Mon Apr 5 11:30:03 EDT 2004
What's New? at House Rabbit Society - Easter 2004
** Easter Gifts Result in Summertime Orphans
New York City Chapter Manager Mary Cotter and HRS
Founder and President Marinell Harriman write this year's
House Rabbit Society Easter message:
http://www.rabbit.org/easter/hrs2004prnewswire.html
** Things You Can Do to Help Rabbits at Easter Time
~Distribute Easter Flyers~
Help Spread the Word: Easter and Bunnies Don't Mix.
House Rabbit Society has six educational flyers for you to
post at schools, veterinary clinics, libraries and every other
public place you visit before April 11th. Spend an hour in
front of a pet shop handing one to every person entering the
store. http://www.rabbit.org/easter/flyer/index.html
~Send a Letter to the Editor~
Shelley Stack, manager of the NJ Chapter writes: "Please
help NJHRS dispel the myth that Easter, kids and rabbits
are perfect together. Send a letter, well in advance of
Easter (4/11), to the editor of your local paper to raise
awareness of this issue with people in your community.
Write to the editor of your daily newspaper as well as
your local weekly one. If they receive enough letters, the
likelihood of one or more being printed is greatly
increased. For letter writing tips, visit www.rabbit.org. At
the bottom of the home page, do a search for 'Easter'.
This will give you many articles and fliers that you can use
to craft your own letter. Your letter might just be what's
needed to enlighten a parent and save a rabbit from the
usual dismal fate of those bought as Easter gifts. Do it
today. Help make Easter a joyful time for our long-eared
friends."
~ Wear your 'Make Mine Chocolate' Pin ~
Wear your chocolate rabbit pin everywhere you go and
educate everyone who inquires about it. If you don't
already have a pin, you can order one at:
http://www.columbusrabbit.org/chocolate.html
(These pins make ideal Easter gifts.)
~Read this Book~
This newly published book is a true story about an Easter
rabbit. Give this book to all the children you know, young
and old alike. http://tinyurl.com/3347g
~Spend a Day at Your Local Animal Shelter~
Devote one afternoon to volunteering at your local animal
shelter educating visitors about the wonderful and complex
world of rabbits.
** Hats Off to the Solano/Sonoma HRS Chapter!
On March 13, the Solano/Sonoma HRS Chapter launched
their 'Meet the Bunnies' program at the Solano County
Animal Control and Care shelter in Fairfield, California.
Apparently their press releases made it to the newspapers
and local radio station. The Fairfield paper came and took
photos for a longer Sunday edition article. The shelter was
swamped with bunny lovers and potential bunny lovers
who came to meet the rabbits living at the shelter, and
their first public workshop had six paid attendees!!!
Volunteers sat in X-pens with the rabbits, answering
questions from visitors, sold House Rabbit Society
Handbooks and distributed HRS educational materials.
Chapter Managers Sylvia WynnLindeman and
Julia Homenko write: "'Meet the Bunnies' is now a weekly
event at this shelter and the new Director, Ron Whitfield,
tells us that when their new reception/administration wing
is built, the rabbits will be housed in condos in the beautiful
new adoption room!
Just to put it all in perspective, the rabbits at this shelter are
currently relegated to a three sided shed in a field out
behind the buildings and up until Ron came on board in
November, had no visible presence whatsoever as far as
the public was concerned.
In the two years we've been involved at this shelter, the
shelter has made precisely one rabbit adoption - and that
only after a staff member (trained by Patrick, a Team
Anchor) took it upon himself to call the paper and ask
that they run a picture of the several rabbits whose time
had run out. (We've taken nearly 100 rabbits out of this
facility in the past two years and found homes for them,
losing only 7 feral and diseased bunnies.) The shelter's
former rabbit adoption fee was $5 and they did not spay
or neuter.
Now the new HRS 'Did You Know?' poster is proudly
displayed in the reception area and we are in the process
of helping them develop a 'Rabbit Wall' of literature and
pictures. All adopted rabbits are spayed or neutered and
the adoption fee has been raised to $75! (The same fee as
for cats.)
A local business-sponsored television ad, promoting one
adoptable animal per spot, now includes bunnies! And -
chapter volunteers will be showcasing bunnies housed at
the shelter for 4 hours every Saturday in X-pens set up in
their reception area.
At the Humane Society of Sonoma County, chapter
members and volunteers have lobbied ceaselessly for the
rabbits' right to live indoors, be prominently displayed, be
spayed or neutered and have an adoption fee that
correlates more appropriately to their worth as
companions.
This branch of the chapter began their 'Meet the Bunnies'
program 1-½ years ago. The shelter now has five regular
bunny-huggers and boasts 2 to 3 two hour Showcases per
week (where resident bunnies are displayed in X-pen
habitats). Volunteers help the staff to screen potential
adopters and the trend is clearly to have more adopters
setting up their new lagomorph family members in the
house!
The shelter has done a good job of publicizing these dates,
ran an excellent article about rabbits as companions - and
HRS - in its magazine, regularly shows bunnies in their
television spots, invites volunteers to contribute bunny-
wise to staff meetings and, generally come a long way in
supporting our work there. Needless to say, rabbit
adoptions at the Humane Society of Sonoma County have
increased over the 1 ½ year term of the 'Meet the
Bunnies' Showcase program.
Well! On March 14th we learned that in the brand new
HSSC facility (scheduled to open within the next 30 days)
rabbits will live not only indoors but will dwell merrily in
twelve X-pen based habitats, each complete with toys,
tunnels and bunny condos! The habitats will be set up in
three rooms - one at the front, near the entrance/reception
area and two further back in the building.
What major steps forward for Bunnykind in our two
counties! Hats off to our wonderful shelter team!"
** SF/Marin Chapter Letter to the Editor (Correction)
In the February 2004 What's New? at House Rabbit
Society, the link to the San Francisco Chronicle letter,
written by SF/Marin Chapter Manager Marcy Schaaf, was
misprinted. The correct link is: http://tinyurl.com/yrzsz
Apologies to all, especially Marcy!
** What is this Teacher Really Teaching Her Students?
In early February, a Florida High School Agriculture
teacher killed 2 newborn rabbits with a shovel, in front of
her students. Animal Control has charged her with animal
cruelty violations while the school district "might" issue a
warning letter.
http://tinyurl.com/37x3k
http://tinyurl.com/37u6j
Should you wish to express your thoughts:
Plant City High School Principal:
Charles.Raburn at sdhc.k12.fl.us
Plant City High School Teacher:
Jane.Bender at sdhc.k12.fl.us
** HRS Chapter Item of the Month
San Diego House Rabbit Society offers a stunning sterling
silver Prayer Box necklace, decorated with a rabbit and
heart motif. This unique piece of jewelry would make a
wonderful Easter or Mother's Day gift. Buy one for a
rabbit lover in your life or be indulgent and get one for
yourself. http://www.tinyurl.com/2bvrq
The San Diego HRS was founded in 1990 and has over
650 members. This chapter has ambitious foster, adoption
and public education programs. Additionally, SDHRS has
an enormous presence in the area shelters, educating shelter
workers, volunteers and visitors about rabbit care. Every
necklace you purchase helps support these vital programs.
** House Rabbit Society Chapter Updates
As we move closer to Easter, our educators, fosterers, and
chapter volunteers are extra busy, fielding interviews,
hosting educational events, and holding fundraisers.
For instance, one of our NYC (http://www.rabbitcare.org)
educators was interviewed for an excellent article in the
Long Island Press, and the NYC chapter manager (and
national Public Relations and Marketing Director) did a
radio interview for an Iowa show called "Pet Talk".
The SF/Marin chapter (http://www.saveabunny.com)
had a half page article published in the Marin Independent
Journal this past week and, Margo DeMello was
interviewed for national pet columnist Steve Dale's
Easter column on March 31.
A reporter for the Arkansas Democratic Gazette
interviewed our Arkansas educator for a pre-Easter
story following a successful educational program for first
graders. One of our Buckeye chapter
(http://www.ohare.org) representatives was interviewed
on the 'Louie Free Radio' show in Ohio last week, and
another representative there wrote an article about the
chapter which will be published in Country Living
Magazine this month. The Kansas City chapter
(http://tinyurl.com/2rbk5) has a big article coming out this
week in the Kansas City Star. The St. Louis chapter
(http://www.tinyurl.com/22vn7) had an article in the
St. Louis Post Dispatch and another coming out in the
Belleville News Democrat, as well as a radio interview
earlier this month.
Comedienne, actress and playwright, Amy Sedaris (a
House Rabbit Society "honorary educator" who speaks
about rabbits and HRS on television and in articles
nationally) recently received a letter from a Maryland
woman who wrote: "After reading so many interviews and
articles and watching interviews in which you talked about
Tattletale and Dusty, and what great pets rabbits make, I
decided to find out more about rabbits. Last week I ended
up adopting 2 dwarf rabbits from the local animal shelter.
They're a bonded pair, believed to be a mother and
daughter. They're such fun and fascinating animals. I'm so
glad I adopted them. If it weren't for you and your
"recommendations", I never would have even considered
rabbits, so thank you!"
The Kansas City chapter (http://tinyurl.com/2rbk5) is
gearing up for their 2nd annual benefit concert, to be held
April 4th, and hosted by the Heart of America Wind
Symphony. The theme for this year's concert is "At the
Hop", with 100% of all proceeds going to the Kansas
City chapter. Minnesota HRS (http://tinyurl.com/22o5w)
reports that they had a very successful Adopt a Rabbit
month (February). Of the four shelters participating, over
60 rabbits found new homes, with each new adopter
receiving a goodie bag with a complimentary one-year
HRS membership, a rabbit toy, educational materials, and
coupons good for up to $50 off rabbit supplies.
The North Georgia chapter (http://www.rabbitga.org)
recently had a one-day sale, 'Shop for a Cause', where they
sold $5 coupons at Rich's, a local store. They allowed the
chapter to bring a few bunnies and to educate the public on
house rabbit care. The sale of the coupons netted the
chapter $3000.00 in one day! And in the Bay Area,
headquarters (http://tinyurl.com/2vfxh) is gearing up for this
weekend's third annual pre-Easter luncheon and auction.
This popular event is a great way for local members to
meet the adoptable rabbits, bid on great rabbit items, and
eat a wonderful vegetarian lunch, prepared entirely by local
volunteers. Finally, we are proud to announce that
Vancouver Rabbit Rescue (http://www.vrra.org) has
become our newest chapter, the first ever non-US House
Rabbit Society chapter!
** For Beemer
Beemer was a little Dutch boy who lived at House Rabbit
Society for many years. He was a crotchety little man who
touched the hearts of all who met him.
He started life as a classroom rabbit. Then he came to
HRS Headquarters and lived happily with a beloved friend.
After her death, Beemer's health began to fail him. Little
Beemer struggled with a severe case of E. cunniculi for
several years. Every day, he sat by his window, waiting for
the mail to arrive or an inquisitive neighborhood cat to
peek in on him.
Two years ago, another E.cunniculi rabbit named Allie,
arrived at the shelter and eventually befriended Beemer.
More often than not, they would be seen snuggled
together; Beemer straddled crosswise over Allie, sound
asleep.
Beemer and Allie went to live with House Rabbit Society
Founder and President, Marinell Harriman and her
husband Bob Harriman in the fall of 2003. Just off the
kitchen, the Harrimans built a special pen for these special
bunnies. They constructed a platform, level with the
window, so that Beemer and Allie could watch the daily
antics of the neighborhood squirrels. Two other special
needs bunnies joined them and the four became a quirky
and wonderful family.
Little Beemer died on March 8th after fighting an infection
that was bigger than he was.
Marinell wrote, "I picked up his body from VCA (hospital)
this morning, and we will bury him this evening under the
redwood tree, where the squirrels play and can continue to
entertain him. Allie, Michelle and Apple can watch from the
window, but it's not as meaningful to them as it was to him.
I really miss having him on this side of the window."
Little Man, you are missed more than you could ever
possibly know. http://tinyurl.com/27eaw
** The HRS Photo Randomizer Wants Your Rabbits!
Many new photos have been added to the HRS
randomizer: http://www.rabbit.org/fun/net-bunnies.html .
We invite you to submit your own special rabbit pictures
by emailing them to: photos at rabbit.org . It is best if the
pictures are sent as email attachments and as jpg files, but
we can also handle other formats.
** Amazon.com Shoppers Help Rabbits for Free
The next time you purchase a bestseller, teapot or garden
hose from Amazon.com, 5% of the purchase price will go
to House Rabbit Society when you use the following link:
http://tinyurl.com/28afu
Please tell your friends, family, co-workers and teammates
about this link so that they too can donate to HRS while
they shop. For future reference, this link can be found on
the home page of House Rabbit Society web site:
www.rabbit.org
** Give an HRS Membership to a Friend
Do you know someone who loves rabbits but is not
currently a member of House Rabbit Society? Please
consider buying them a gift membership today. What more
poignant Easter gift could there be than sharing the support
of the largest house rabbit advocacy organization in the
world?
A yearly tax-deductible membership costs only $18 or $25
for international memberships. All members receive the
Society's newsletter, House Rabbit Journal. Please go to:
http://rabbit.org/hrs-info/joining.html
** On behalf of the rabbits, thank you. **
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