What's New? At House Rabbit Society May 2003


** Miami International Airport Jackrabbits **

Thanks to several rescue groups (including Miami HRS) trappers,
veterinarians and many compassionate individuals, the wild
jackrabbits are being trapped at Miami International Airport
then relocated and released in Texas.

Black-tailed jackrabbits have been living at the airport for
20 years, however, due to airport expansion, the jackrabbits
were deemed a "safety hazard" and airport authorities developed
an eradication plan. International public outcry thwarted the
airport's plan; the jackrabbits were given a 30-day reprieve.

For the latest update on the situation, visit the Miami HRS site:
http://hare.bio.miami.edu/jackrabbit/


** Adopt AŠHighway??? **

Jan Davidson, Manager of the South Yosemite House Rabbit Society
Chapter, is well known for her marvelous rescue & adoption work
on behalf of guinea pigs as well as rabbits. However, few know
that Jan's adoption circle includes a two-mile stretch of highway
close to a Yosemite National Park entrance. This campaign provides
enormous exposure for The House Rabbit Society name and logo to
millions of park visitors
annually.

For more details and to see a photo of the Yosemite HRS sign,
check out the full article:
http://rabbit.org/hrs-info/adopt-a-highway.html

Call toll-free 1.866.236.7824 if you are interested in
participating in the Adopt-A-Highway Program. (All states have the
program except Vermont.)


** Help Save Sally's Rabbits **

An international grassroots effort is underway to help save a
rabbit rescue center in Watford, England. The sanctuary is under
threat of closure by the District Council due to unfounded
"increased traffic" complaints. Sally Machell created the sanctuary
in 1991, offering a safe haven for abandoned, neglected or abused
rabbits from shelters, including the R.S.P.C.A. Please support Sally
and her 100 rabbits by signing the petition. For the full story,
go to:


<http://www.savesallysbunnies.com/index.html>http://www.savesallysbunnies.com/in\
dex.html


** Easter Update **

This year's Easter campaign is now behind us, and our chapters
came up with innovative ideas to encourage people not to buy rabbits
as impulse gifts this Easter. Columbus HRS created chocolate-looking
rabbit pins for their campaign, "Make Mine Chocolate!" and Minnesota
HRS focused their campaign on stuffed toy bunnies with HRS info tags
and accompanying posters. We sent out a nationwide press release and
many of our representatives did radio, print and television spots
around the holiday. Finally, NYC HRS has been working with writer,
comedian, actress and rabbit-lover Amy Sedaris, to publicize the
plight of rabbits both at Easter and year-round. Amy recently appeared
on The Caroline Rhea Show, where she talked about her recently adopted
(from NYC HRS) rabbit, and promoted House Rabbit Society' efforts.

This year we had over 2.5 million "hits" to our website in the week
leading up to Easter. Articles on the dangers of rabbits as Easter
gifts were featured in over three dozen major newspapers, including
the Miami Herald, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, and the San Jose Mercury
news. Once again, the message was featured in Ann Lander's nationally
syndicated column.

http://www.rabbit.org/easter/index.html


** House Rabbit Society Chapter Updates **

In other news, two of our educators from Tampa Bay, FL, were nominated
by their local SPCA as the United Way Volunteers of the Year for the
work they do on behalf of rabbits. The Indianapolis HRS just completed
a number of educational events include two children's programs
educating hundreds of kids, Earth Day, a vegetarian festival, and a
T-Touch seminar. Indiana events included an adoptathon, a children's
festival, and a pet fair in Mid-May. In St. Louis, the chapter just had
a booth and presented a talk at the Pet Expo in April, and volunteers
are preparing for their upcoming Bunny Expo in June. In Arkansas, our
educator there has been organizing low cost spay/neuter clinics for
limited income residents in Little Rock; she has also been teaching
children's programs on humane rabbit care at the local libraries.

In other parts of the country, volunteers are busy as well! San Diego
HRS held its annual open house open house in mid-May, Baltimore HRS
volunteers will be participating in the upcoming Walk for Animals,
while Chicago HRS is planning their eighth annual Bunny Fest Picnic to
be held in June.

http://www.rabbit.org/chapters/index.html


** New House Rabbit Society Items **

Just in time for summer! How about a swanky new golf shirt of a
red-sleeved baseball jersey? Several new House Rabbit Society items
are available at our cafepress.com store. 100% of all profits go
directly to the House Rabbit Society.

http://www.cafeshops.com/hrs,hrs2,hrs3


NEW! Donate to the House Rabbit Society every time you write a checkŠ
http://www.petchecks.com/bunnies.html


** Please Help Us Help the Rabbits. **

The House Rabbit Society is the only rabbit rescue and education
program that is nationwide, and indeed, we have members around the
world. We have 31 chapters in 21 states, and educators and fosterers
in an additional 10 states plus Canada, Singapore and Australia. How
do we do all that? We owe our success to our volunteers, and to the
generosity of our over 7,000 individual members who support this very
important work.

A yearly tax-deductible membership costs only $18 or $25 for
international memberships. All members receive the Society's newsletter,
The House Rabbit Journal. Visa or MasterCard accepted.

http://rabbit.org/hrs-info/joining.html

On behalf of the rabbits, thank you.


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House Rabbit Society
http://www.rabbit.org

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HRS, 148 Broadway Richmond, CA 94804
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