** What's New? at House Rabbit Society - August 2004


** Lucky

On July 13th, 2 men and 5 juveniles, took a pet bunny to a
Northern California lake. They taped a half-stick of
dynamite to the 4 pound defenseless bunny, lit the fuse and
threw her into the water. They took photographs of the
entire incident, presumably hoping to document the rabbit
being blown to smithereens upon impact with the water.

The rabbit's name is Lucky and a lucky rabbit she is.

The fuse went out upon impact and Lucky swam in panic
until she was exhausted. Lucky's "owner", 18 year old
Nick Sigmon, a lifeguard at that very lake, jumped in the
water and retrieved his pet.

Nick Sigmon was going away to college and would no
longer be able to care for Lucky, so he got together with
some friends and decided to kill Lucky in a most sadistic
and cruel fashion. Taking photographs of the incident was
his downfall. A compassionate acquaintance anonymously
published the photos online in a public forum, with a plea;
"Help This Rabbit". The photos came to the attention of a
House Rabbit Society volunteer who immediately
contacted authorities.

The two men are charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty
and face one year in jail. There is a pre-trial hearing
scheduled for September 24th but, it is highly likely that the
case will be settled out-of-court very soon.

Please, write to the Hayward DA and ask that these men
serve time in jail and that they be fined. It is essential we
demonstrate to the DA that cruelty to rabbits demands the
serious consideration given to other species. Please, write
to the Hayward DA (http://tinyurl.com/5hxjr) as soon as
possible and politely demand maximum sentencing, for
Lucky's sake and for thousands of rabbits just like her.

To read more about Lucky and her incident at the lake, the
media attention she gained, and to see a photo of Lucky
with her new best friend in her forever home, please go to:
http://tinyurl.com/6kevt


** Cruelty to Animals - SF Chronicle Op-Ed

In response to the Lucky incident, the following Op-Ed
piece appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle on
August 2, 2004. It was written by House Rabbit Society
Director and author, Margo DeMello.

Cruelty to Animals a Warning of Possible Violence to Come

Last week's story of Lucky, the rabbit who was duct-taped
to a powerful explosive and thrown into Lake Don Castro
in Castro Valley by two young lifeguards, illustrates that
even in the animal-friendly Bay Area, cruelty to animals is
not only present, but may be growing.

As a representative of House Rabbit Society, a rabbit
rescue and education organization based in Richmond, I am
all too familiar with stories like this. This month it was
Lucky, whose teenage "owner" decided that blowing her up
in a lake was a good way to dispose of an animal he could
no longer care for as he was going away to college. In May,
it was 30 rabbits found in a Hayward backyard, literally
living on bread and water, and sharing space with their
dead and dying brethren. And last year, it was Samosa, a
rabbit who was tossed out of a car on a Peninsula
highway, presumably as an easy way to dispose of an
unwanted pet.

But Lucky's story tells more about our society than the fact
that we are rapidly becoming a throwaway culture, in which
dogs, cats, rabbits and other animals are tossed away like
an old sofa when their usefulness has diminished. It also
should serve as a warning to the friends and family of
people who so easily can turn on - and inflict cruelty upon -
a family pet.

Humane educators, crime-prevention organizations and
psychologists have for years known of the connection
between the abuse of animals and violence toward humans.
Cases of serial killers who started out their careers
torturing animals have been well documented, and we see
this especially among young killers, such as Columbine
High shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold and other
teen killers (Kip Kinkel, Andrew Golden, Luke Woodham
and Michael Carneal). All of these boys tortured and
mutilated animals before turning their guns on their
classmates and teachers.

Yet every time we hear of a young person abusing an
animal, it is explained away by family and often authorities
as a "youthful indiscretion." In the case of Lucky, the
Alameda County district attorney has charged her abusers
with misdemeanor animal cruelty, rather than felony cruelty,
because the young lifeguards had no previous criminal
records. What the authorities and parents of these young
men fail to realize is that their behavior may signal that
something is wrong with these men, which could very
easily escalate into something much worse. The evidence
is not just anecdotal; numerous studies, including the 1998
work of Randall Lockwood and Frank R. Ascione
("Cruelty to Animals and Interpersonal Violence," Purdue
University Press), have shown that children who engage in
animal cruelty are more likely to commit more violent acts
as adults. There is also a strong link between abuse of
animals and domestic violence, with animal abusers much
more likely to batter their wives or girlfriends as well.

While the two young men who taped an explosive to a
terrified rabbit and tossed her into a lake may be sorry for
what they did now, it is undeniable that their behaviors
warrant a serious response. To slap them on the wrist and
send them off to college sends a message that not only is
the abuse and torture of an animal OK (as long as it is
carried out by a young person with no criminal record),
but also that abuse such as this is always an isolated
incident. As the above referenced studies show, it most
likely will not be.

The story of Lucky should serve as a wake-up call,
especially for parents. Youthful violence toward animals is
a very serious issue, and it needs to be taken seriously by
not only animal advocates like myself, but by those who
are concerned about violence in our society.


** Minnesota Rescue -140 Rabbits in a Single Home

In early August, 140 rabbits were confiscated from a home
in the Twin Cities area. The majority of the rabbits were
either dead or required euthanasia. Thanks to the
dedication of Minnesota House Rabbit Society
(http://www.mnhouserabbit.org) volunteers, the surviving
22 rabbits have received necessary medical care and
almost all are safely living in foster homes.

To read more about this evolving case, please go to:
http://www.mnhouserabbit.org/adoption/confiscation.html.

Minnesota HRS needs donations to help defray the
medical expenses accrued during this rescue, as well as for
the ongoing care while these rabbits are in foster homes.

Please send donations to:
Minnesota House Rabbit Society
PO Box 390691
Edina MN 55439


** Large Scale Rescue Effort In Watsonville

On June 10, 2004 the Watsonville animal shelter received
a call from a concerned citizen regarding a piercing
ammonia smell coming from a neighbor's yard where an
unknown number of rabbits were being kept in disgusting
conditions by a hobby breeder. On arrival, animal control
officers found 53 rabbits crammed into eight small wire
cages caked with feces, urine, insects and moldy hay. In
many cages there was no water and in others, water was
pooled in rusty old coffee cans with debris and waste
floating in the stagnant water. Also found on-site were
several rifles.

Only 8 of the rabbits were adults. 45 were babies between
2 days and 7 weeks old. Of the 8 adults, 5 were nursing
moms, one rabbit was pregnant and the other two females
were not pregnant. Officers found mixed litters, in which
babies had been moved around to other mothers. No
males were found and the property owner casually
mentioned that her friend had "got rid of them."

The owner is now facing criminal charges for the unsanitary
conditions in which these poor rabbits were housed and
the absence of providing basic care and medical treatment.
Many adult and baby rabbits had serious injuries, including
broken bones, eye injuries and malnutrition. They had
obviously endured very severe neglect.

The Watsonville shelter is a small, friendly shelter in a
sleepy, little town---accustomed to housing only two to
three rabbits at a time seeking adoptive homes. Faced
with a crisis of nearly overwhelming magnitude, this shelter
and its very limited staff, moved into immediate action
under the guidance of Lara Walker, volunteer liaison.
Amazingly, all 53 rabbits were safely rescued from the
situation and treated for injuries. Many were placed in
foster homes and others placed up for adoption.

Sad and tragic situations like this one in Watsonville, can
easily burn out rescue groups and shelter staff. Feelings of
hopelessness, despair and bitterness are common. Yet,
these intense crises can also serve as extraordinary
opportunities to learn under fire, as well as unite in helping
others. Handled strategically, cooperatively and creatively,
as this rescue was, many lives can be saved and valuable
lessons can be shared with the rescue community.

What worked especially well was sending out an
immediate and urgent request for assistance from other
shelters or rescue groups---along with photos. The more
details and information that can be shared with others, the
better the response. Photos are very important to get
people motivated.

Media coverage is also a crucial component to the success
of a rescue. Early media coverage increased visibility and
awareness of the situation, especially within the local
community. Compassionate retailers, such as The Funny
Bunny Toy Company (http://tinyurl.com/62xsw) in
Alameda and Sunnyvale's, For Other Living Things
(http://tinyurl.com/4bg9s ), sent bunny toys and supplies to
ease the rabbits' transition and provide comfort and joy.
The most important medium was newspaper with photos.
At least twenty adoptions resulted from media coverage
and the majority of adoptions were local. Volunteers and
concerned citizens came forward with donations and
support. Reminder stories and updates to the media are
important to keep alive public interest in the story.

Networking with other rescue groups is key to effectively
leveraging resources beyond one's own locality and
limitations. Rescue groups outside the immediate area can
often provide needed resources, foster homes and moral
support that can turn an impossible situation for a single
group into a manageable project taken on by the broader
rescue community. For example, one nursing Mom and
litter of babies was fostered by For Other Living Things
for SaveABunny and then also taken to adoption outposts
by The Rabbit Haven. Rabbit Haven also took in several
other moms and litters into their rescue network.

In another example, updates and pictures of the rabbits
were posted on the SaveABunny website and online
donations were accepted for their care via PayPal and then
directed to The Rabbit Haven and the Watsonville shelter.
Working together can lead to a continued sense of
cooperation and sharing of ideas that benefits all of the
rescue groups and helps to save more rabbit lives.

Good leadership and volunteer recognition is paramount.
Lara Walker, volunteer liaison, accepted responsibility for
leading the rescue effort and volunteered the majority of the
summer and at least 30 hours/week to keep the bunnies
and shelter from suffering. Her consistent, professional
and positive handling of the media, volunteer, and shelter
resources enabled the tiny Watsonville shelter to perform
a miracle in its community. Without such a dedicated
organizer and leader of the effort, sadly, most of the
rabbits would have been euthanized because of lack of
staffing and space.

Lastly, especially with a large scale rescue effort, receiving
expert veterinary assistance at a workable rate is a major
factor in both the short and long term management of
resources and providing necessary care for the rabbits. In
this case, Creekside Vet in Soquel became a, integral
partner in the rescue effort, as well as Dr. Hawklin who
came to the Watsonville shelter and examined every single
rabbit on her days off.

Now, three months later, many of these beautiful and brave
rabbits are still awaiting their forever homes at the
Watsonville shelter, and at the rescue groups that stepped
in to help---The Rabbit Haven, in Santa Cruz, and
SaveABunny, the San Francisco/ Marin County Chapter
of HRS. These groups are actively seeking permanent
homes for the now delightful adolescent bunnies who were
rescued as newborns. The gentle, caring, momma bunnies
who endured so much, yet still tenderly cared for their
babies, are also deserving of safe haven and forever
homes.

If you would like to adopt a single or pair of these
exquisite, little survivors, or the adults, please contact:
Lara Walker 831-763-4177 (Watsonville Shelter) at
laraadam@..., Heather 831-239-7119
(The Rabbit Haven) at www.therabbithaven.org, or
Marcy at 415-388-2790 (SaveABunny-SF/ Marin HRS)
at www.saveabunny.com .


** Hayward Rabbit Rescue/Cruelty Case Update

Unlike the rescue cases listed above, I am sorry to write
that this case has not yet been presented to the District
Attorney (http://tinyurl.com/6jt59).

Two of these precious rabbits have died, but, as a whole,
the Hayward rabbits are doing quite well.. One has been
adopted, two are in private foster care and eight have gone
to live in marvelous sanctuaries. All others are still living in
their initial foster-rescue home in San Leandro CA, where
they receive excellent medical care as well as attention and
love from several dedicated volunteers.

They still do not grasp the concept of toys but, they have
learned that cardboard castles are meant for chewing!
Most know their names and delight in hearing them.
Occasionally, we will see them working on their binkie
moves.

Judith Pierce from San Diego HRS, web-mistress
extraordinaire, has volunteered untold hours designing
creative merchandise items to raise funds for this costly
effort: http://www.cafepress.com/hayward_rabbits. Please
purchase a new tee shirt, an HRS wall clock or a button
to show your support of rabbit rescue and to help ensure
that these rabbits' every needs will continue to be met.

We wholeheartedly thank each of you who has expressed
concern and generosity for these rabbits, but, the surgeries,
medical and daily care costs continue. Your continued
support is still needed and is most greatly appreciated.
To make a donation, please go to: http://tinyurl.com/2kzrx

To read more about this case and these marvelous rabbits,
please see the new web pages at:
http://www.rabbit.org/rabbit-center/hayward_rabbits.html


** 300 Rabbit Rescue 2004

The following link will take you to a marvelous photo-essay
update on the 300 bunnies rescued earlier this year in
Chino,California: http://tinyurl.com/5lqzu


** Alabama EARS takes on Carnival Cruise

On June 16, an article in the Birmingham News newspaper
highlighted the growing rabbit industry in Alabama and the
Southeast.

The article cited examples of rabbits for meat, medical
purposes, and generally focused on the business end of
farming rabbits. One part of the article, mentioned Carnival
Cruise Lines has a major player in the meat industry. It was
estimated in the article that the cruise lines purchases
approximately 4,000 rabbits per month to serve on their
cruise ships. Ron Sparks, Commissioner of the Alabama
Department of Agriculture and Industries Commissioner
was quoted as saying, "Developing the rabbit industry is
one of my top priorities and I am committed that we see
this project through that that we open a new market for
our Alabama farmers and their products."

Alabama EARS' member Rhonda Wright was the first to
write Carnival Cruise Lines in protest of their dinner menu.
She received a response from Carnival stating, "the story in
the magazine contained an error. Carnival Cruise Lines
does not serve rabbits on its ships." Rhonda then emailed
the reporter who wrote the article and he responded,
"This took some tracking down through the Alabama
Department of Agriculture, but Carnival Corporation
owns several cruise lines. Carnival owned Princess Cruise
Lines [which] purchases the Alabama rabbits. The ships
branded "Carnival Cruise Lines" does not serve rabbit but
acknowledges that its sister cruise line [Princess Cruise
Lines] owned by the Carnival Corporation does."

So far, Alabama EARS' E-T Ruth Fledersmaus-Stallsmith
has drafted letters to the Birmingham News, Princess
Cruise/Carnival Cruise, and to Ron Sparks expressing
extreme dissatisfaction and explaining the role of rabbits as
house rabbits. EARS has also planned a Bunny 101 class
for October 2, and plans to advertise over the entire state.
"The more people who are familiar with house rabbits, the
better the hold we can keep on rabbits as companion
animals in our state," says Paris Grey, EARS'
Corresponding Secretary.

Knowing this will be a long and difficult campaign, EARS
will be posting copies of the letters on their website at
www.AlabamaEARS.org. They hope members from every
chapter of the House Rabbit Society downloads the letters
or writes their own and sends them to Princess Cruise
Lines and to Ron Sparks (addresses below). When writing
Princess Cruise Lines, EARS recommends firmly stating
that they would never take a cruise on a line a or sister line
of a company that serves rabbits on board.

Alan Buckelew, President
Princess Cruises
24844 Avenue Rockefeller
Santa Clarita, CA 91355

Ron Sparks, Commissioner
Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries
Post Office Box 3336
Montgomery, AL 36109-0336


** San Francisco/Marin Chapter in The NY Times!

For the Diligent, a Soft, Furry Reward
New York Times - Late Edition 7/8/2004
By Michelle Slatalla

The biggest mistake a parent can make is to promise a
6-year-old a special reward if she works really, really hard
at school. I learned this the hard way one morning last week
when a voice hissed, "Mommy, wake up, the clock says
almost 7, can we go get my bunny now?"

Not everyone in my household wants a pet rabbit. There's
the pro-hamster contingent, for example. Then there's Otto
the dog, who according to his chief apologist (my husband)
would prefer the company of a puppy if we have to get
another pet in the first place. The only family member who
has not voiced an opinion is Davis the goldfish, but then
he's always the last to know.

But Clementine has been promised. She says she has it in
writing and for all I know, she does. I dimly remember
telling her, back in March when the June report card
seemed a distant threat, that if she brought home a good
one, she could get a rabbit.

Things looked dire last week, after a woman from the pet
store left a message on the answering machine that I
unfortunately played when Clementine was standing next to
me: five baby bunnies were available.

Given the desperate nature of the situation, I tried to buy
time. I told Clementine we couldn't get a rabbit before we
had all the necessary equipment - a cage, food, a litter box,
a water bottle - which I said we would have to buy online.
Although the list of necessary supplies looked fairly short,
by specifying "standard shipping" one can always buy a
reprieve of another 5 to 10 business days.

A site operated by the House Rabbit Society
(www.rabbit.org), a nonprofit animal welfare group with
headquarters in Northern California, was the logical place
to start. It described a philosophy of rabbit care meant to
make the pet an integral family member. No outdoor
hutches. Daily playtime. Mental stimulation. Rabbit toys.

Toys? That's the world of rabbits for you. The list of online
suppliers included sites like www.leithpetwerks.com,
where a rattle ("A small colorful little ball with a bell inside")
cost $1.29 and Fruity Chews ("Colorful, fruit flavored
cardboard tubes are a perfect toy for tossing and chewing")
were 36 cents apiece.

At www.bunnybytes.com a cardboard playhouse (the
Cottontail Cottage, $16.99) is available. For $6.35,
www.bunnyluv.com had "Bunny Wobbles" (keep
bouncing back, even when nudged and tossed"). And
www.busybunny.com stocked a rabbit ring toss ("beads
and hearts are held together with natural cotton rope and
non-toxic glue") that cost $4.99.

I tried to picture rabbits playing with toys.

Instead, the only mental image that appeared was of my
childhood pet Paul, a white rabbit that for two years had
huddled in a corner of his cage without comment. Then
one day he ate a dishtowel and died, leaving as his legacy
a strong smell of urine in our family room.

Toys? Maybe I had overlooked something.

How else to explain the zillions of rabbit-related sites I
stumbled across, where doting rabbit owners could buy
everything from Super Pet Bunny Shake N Chews
("perfect for fetching, $3.59") at www.rabbitcentral.com
to unpeeled willow chew rings ("for those of you whose
bunny is a willow purist, $2.95") at
www.rabbitsnmore.com?

For clarification, I phone my local House Rabbit Society
representative. "Rabbits are as cuddly as puppies and
kittens," insisted Marcy Schaaf, who runs the society's
Marin County chapter and operates a site called
www.saveabunny.com. "They're really opinionated. They
like to play with toys. They will follow you around the
house. They will sit at your feet."

This image contradicted the information I had gathered
from rabbit-owning friends. "What about biting and
kicking and scratching and spraying?" I asked.

These complaints were not unknown to Ms. Schaaf.
Patiently, she explained that the problem lay with people,
not bunnies. "People buy babies at pet stores and then the
bunny grows into a teenager and the novelty wears off,"
she said. "When they become sexually active at three to
four months old, they spray, they're ornery, they chew,
they're destructive. People call me saying, `My rabbit is
crazy.' But altering the rabbit will stop those behaviors."

I remained skeptical.

So Ms. Schaaf, who happened to live in my town, invited
Clementine and me to her home to meet some of the
rabbits she had rescued from shelters. On the drive over, I
told Clementine these would not be cute little babies. They
were mostly full-grown, I said, hardened rabbits. They
might scratch.

I would like to give a home to a bunny that needs one," she
said, ignoring my dark innuendoes.

In Ms. Schaaf's basement (which, for the record, did not
smell strongly of urine) were two dozen or so cages whose
occupants had names like Chip, Salsa, Noodle and
Doodle.

Ms. Schaaf introduced them. Emily was black-and-white
and shy. Earnest was white with charcoal gray markings
and allowed Clem to hole him for 10 minutes. Duncan had
lop ears and snubbed us by retreating into his Busy Bunny
tent tunnel (mad of unpeeled willow, $16.95 from
www.busybunny.com with a toy rattle in his mouth.

"Anastasia, you're such a pretty girl," Ms. Schaaf cooed to
a white rabbit in a wire pen. Anastasia, who had a coat like
a carpet, cocked one long, delicate ear in response, and
then hopped over to investigate.

Ms. Schaaf explained that Anastasia was a standard Rex,
a breed known for plush coats, and had survived a serious
car accident that had left her with a broken shoulder and
motor oil caked all over her body. Ms. Schaaf asked
Anastasia, "Do you want to play?"

Anastasia hopped to the cage lock and waited for Ms.
Schaaf to open it. "This is Clementine," Ms. Schaaf said.
Anastasia hopped over. Clementine gently stroked her
between the ears. I heard a clicking sound. "That's how
they purr," Ms. Schaaf said.

"What about problems with litter training?" I asked,
grasping at straws. Ms. Schaaf said most rabbits will learn
to use a litter box if owners are vigilant about placing the
box in the cage corner for which a rabbit has shown a
preference.

"Such a smart bunny," Clementine praised Anastasia.
Anastasia cocked her other ear.

In the presence of these two Bunny Whisperers, I had no
choice. I complimented Carmen on her plush silvery coat.
I cooed, "Hi, Brewster.: I cradled Aimee like a baby.

After an hour or so, I was hooked. When Clementine
asked Ms. Schaaf if we could adopt one - in the past four
years, Ms. Schaaf has successfully placed 250 rescued
rabbits with new owners - I didn't demur. Ms. Schaaf,
who never places a rabbit on the first visit, said there were
at least three rabbits that seemed to like us enough to
consider living with us. On our next visit, Clem will learn
how to lift and hold a rabbit properly.

And I volunteered to clean litter boxes.

Slatalla@...


** Product Safety and Your Rabbit

Written by: Dana F. Hakes, CM, Tampa Bay House
Rabbit Society www.tampabayhrs.org

The House Rabbit Society maintains a list of suppliers
who provide consistently good products that improve
the well being of our rabbits. However, even the most
conscientious manufacturer can have problems with raw
materials, production, packaging, and/or distribution.
Sometimes the problem is due to things beyond their
control.

A good company will work with its customers to quickly
identify the problem, notify other customers, and take
steps to avoid problems in the future. We recently
contacted Purina, manufacturer of Yesterday's New, with
questions regarding staples and plastic found in some of
their bags. They were very apologetic, expressed concern
over the well being of our rabbits, and asked for details.
Purina keeps good records and they were able to tell me
that this was an isolated incident. Definitely an example of
a good company!

Unfortunately, many people claim that problems exist in
hopes of getting money or recognition from the company.
Most manufacturing companies have state-of-the-art
research and development labs to help catch these
"phonies".

If you do find something suspicious in your rabbit's
supplies, contact the manufacturer immediately. They will
want to know details including where and when you bought
the product. Most products are stamped with a date/time/
production code that will allow the manufacturer to identify
the production issue. They will probably ask you to send
in the problem product and hopefully will provide
reimbursement or coupons for future purchases. You'll
also want to contact the retailer where you purchased the
product, and contact House Rabbit Society so that they
can alert other people. Working together, we can keep
our rabbits safe and healthy.



** PetCo Tests Rabbit Adoption

Cooperation with local rights group could be pet model
nationally

By Bob Shaw
Pioneer Press - Minnesota 7/5/04

In Apple Valley, you can't buy a rabbit at the PetCo store.
You must adopt a rabbit, and that's not just a figure of
speech. You must fill out an adoption form, read
educational material on rabbit care, and then wait up to 48
hours for a call from an animal welfare group.

The caller will ask if you can offer a suitable home, food
and the required 30 hours a week of exercise. You then
pay $50 for the rabbit, which is only available spayed and
implanted with a microchip, to identify it if it gets lost. And
if you don't like those conditions? Well, you can always
buy a gerbil. At least, for now.

In a experiment being watched nationally, four PetCo
stores in Twin Cities suburbs are moving out of the
business of selling rabbits, turning the business over to
animal adoption agencies.

Next up? Gerbils, mice, birds and reptiles.

"There are no limits to this," said Lori Mornard, PetCo
regional manager, standing in the Apple Valley store beside
a rabbit-adoption display. "We are trying to do what is
right, totally. This is a drastic change from our past
philosophy, and in the industry."

The group handling the adoptions is equally delighted. "It's
a win-win for everyone. The bottom line is that more
rabbits are being treated better," said Joanna Campbell of
the Minnesota House Rabbit Society.

The arrangement is a truce - some call it a sellout -
involving two long-warring sides.

In one corner are PetCo and other pet stores, part of a
$31 billion pet industry that has doubled in 10 years. In the
other corner are animal rights groups, some of which believe
that selling animals is morally akin to selling human slaves.
By surrendering control of pet ownership to animal groups,
pet stores give up some profits, but they are able to take
moral high ground in the animal welfare debate.

The compromise is drawing national attention. Campbell
will give a speech on the subject to the American Humane
Association's national conference in September. Animal
welfare groups are applauding the idea. Local animal
shelters are abuzz with speculation about how the
pet-buying public will react.

But the rabbit compromise hasn't got everyone feeling
warm and fuzzy. "It's ridiculous," snapped Larry Olson,
manager of the Petland store in the SunRay Shopping
Center in St. Paul, where you can buy a cat, dog or rabbit
without any forms, interviews or delays.

"If you want to buy a bunny or hamster or ferret for your
children, they want it now," Olson said. "You don't want
hassles. You don't want a third party."

But like it or not, adoption of animals is the wave of the
future, said Martha Armstrong, a senior vice president at
the Humane Society of the United States.

"Animals are not commodities like a toaster or a dress,"
Armstrong said. "They are living creatures."

THE NEED TO BREED

The problem with pet stores, say animal advocates, is that
they breed animals into a world overpopulated with
abandoned pets.

Americans own about 65 million dogs and 78 million cats -
and there are an equal number of feral cats. Each day
about 10,000 people are born in America, and 70,000
dogs and cats - a built-in gap between pet supply and
demand.

That's one reason animal shelters have become animal
morgues. About 4 million dogs and cats are killed by
shelters in this country yearly, including about 20,000 in the
Twin Cities metro area, according to Mike Fry, director
of the Animal Ark No-Kill Shelter in Hastings.

Many shelters kill half of the animals they receive, including
St. Paul Animal Control and the Minneapolis Animal Care
and Control Program. In the face of criticism, the nation's
two largest pet sellers, PetCo and PetsMart, agreed to
stop selling dogs and cats years ago. Instead, they agreed
to refer customers to shelters.

But in the 1990s, PetCo started to draw special criticism.
Laura Brown, spokeswoman for the People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals (PETA), said PetCo is a corporate
abuser of animals - with more than 1,000 complaints
lodged by customers and employees. Complaints range
from depriving animals of food to slamming a mouse to the
floor before feeding it to a snake.

Brown said the Minnesota compromise was being used by
PetCo to improve its corporate image. "They are very
hypocritical," Brown said. "They are in the business to
make a profit."

Company spokesman Don Cowan said the PETA charges
are false or exaggerated and based on isolated cases. He
said any complaint is met with a quick response, and
veterinary care is always available.

He cited the company's nonprofit foundation, which has
given $17 million to 1,900 animal shelters for spaying and
animal care programs. One of them was the Minnesota
Rabbit Society, which got a PetCo Foundation grant for
$3,000 to help spay rabbits. "They did a good thing for
rabbits," Campbell said.

Said Cowan: "We rest on our reputation," including the
company's rapid growth to 670 stores in 45 states. In
America, he said, the company has the right to sell animals.

A RADICAL SOLUTION

As the two sides snarled at each other, the Rabbit Society
proposed the compromise in 2003.

The move was a break from animal-rights orthodoxy, which
called for boycotting pet stores. "Other groups think I am
the devil," Campbell said. The compromise was based on
a common cause - finding homes for animals, with people
who will spend money and give love to them for a lifetime.

The problem for PetCo is to guarantee a steady supply of
animals. There may be an overpopulation of rabbits and
other small pets, but arranging thousands - or millions - of
adoptions is immensely complicated.

In fact, Cowan said the only reason the Minnesota
compromise works is because of the dedication of the
Rabbit Society. For example, the group screens potential
"parents," who must list their reasons for wanting the rabbit,
and their current and past pets. They agree to care for the
rabbit for its 12-year life span. They agree to exercise the
animal for 30 hours a week - playing with it, taking it for
walks or letting it romp in a separate exercise pen.

But what if someone wanted a rabbit in a hurry? What if
someone had a pet python who ate live animals and loves
rabbits? "Then we don't need to proceed with the
adoption," said Campbell, unamused. Cowan said no
comparable group has emerged to manage adoptions of
unwanted gerbils, mice or birds. Until that happens,
Cowan said PetCo will continue to sell such animals.

CONVENIENCE MATTERS

Even with good intentions, PetCo has to compete. And
while adoption might be best for animals, what's best for
consumers has traditionally been convenience and low
prices.

At the Petland store in St. Paul, one wall is stacked with
well-lit cages in which puppies rassle with each other.
Clean, fluffy rabbits wait in an aisle, selling for $10 less
than the adoption price. Here, customers don't have to
pick from animals rejected by other owners. They can buy
a pet in the time it takes to whip out a charge card.

Olson, the manager, was asked about PETA's objections
to his business. "Well, according to PETA we shouldn't be
drinking milk because it's bad for cows," Olson said. The
idea of handing his pet sales to an animal welfare group
strikes him as hare-brained. "We sell lots and lots of
bunnies," Olson said. "People come in, pick one up, fall in
love and buy it."

But Jennifer McCarthy, manager of Pet Supplies Plus Inc.
in Burnsville, had a different reaction to the PetCo
compromise. "It's a great idea," she said. Even though
rabbits are her store's best-selling animal, McCarthy said
she'd turn the rabbit business over to a group willing to
handle adoptions - if she were unexpectedly forced to do
without her rabbit breeder, who supplies the store with
rabbits.

She said her own employees breed the store's hamsters
and gerbils, from attractive farms and loving environments.
Sara Orsted, a store salesperson, agreed that the PetCo
compromise was good for animals - despite the fact she
has a PETA sticker on her car.

Until animal adoption agencies make pet-selling obsolete,
Orsted said, Pet Supplies Plus will sell rabbits to customers.
"Unfortunately," Orsted said, "you can't deny them a
rabbit." For more information on the Minnesota House
Rabbit Society, visit the group's Web site at:
www.mnhouserabbit.org


** Police Revive Rabbit Caught in House Fire

Berlin (Reuters) July 12, 2004

German police successfully resuscitated a dwarf rabbit
named Napoleon by breathing through a ball point pen
after he passed out in a house fire, authorities said
Saturday.

Two officers were called to a Berlin flat where firefighters
had dragged the unconscious rabbit's cage outside. The
officer's opened Napoleon's mouth with a pen and
breathed down it while giving the pet a cardio massage, a
police spokesman said. The officers then rushed Napoleon
by police car to a vet, who will keep him for observation
for a few days.


** Cottontail Cottages

Several years ago, House Rabbit Society Educator and
volunteer Amy Spintman, from the San Diego Chapter,
developed the Cottontail Cottage, a multi-story cardboard
playhouse for rabbits. The Cottage has proven to be quite
a hit with rabbits who enjoy hopping from level to level,
running through and peeking out of the different openings,
and just hanging around inside of it resting. Another popular
bunny activity is the remodeling or chewing on the chew-
safe Cottage instead of on other inappropriate items in the
home!

Amy's is altruistic with her cottages and often donates them
to local shelters in need of rabbit supplies. Amy recently
shipped several cottages to the Hayward Rescued Rabbits
in Northern California, much to the delight of the bunnies as
well as their foster mom, who is constantly searching for
new ways to keep them entertained. Amy, your generosity
is most appreciated!

The Cottontail Cottage is available for purchase from many
HRS chapters throughout the U.S., helping with their
fundraising efforts, plus several online retailers. For a list of
purchase locations, more information about the Cottage,
and pictures of lots of bunnies enjoying their Cottontail
Cottages, go to: http://tinyurl.com/6sxek



** HRS Featured Chapter of the Month

Central Alabama EARS
(Encouraging Alabama Rabbit Support)

Written by: Laurie Gigous, HRS Vice President

Chapter Co-Managers: Linda Howard, Val Rocco
Board of Directors
Val Rocco, President
Kelsey Rocco, Vice President & Recording Secretary
Linda Howard, Treasurer
Paris Grey, Corresponding Secretary, Rabbit's Tale Editor
Deb Kirkland, Educator
Blythe Monheit, Director

The Alabama Chapter of the House Rabbit Society started
their "in training" status in 2001. In 2003, the chapter split
into two separate groups: North East Alabama House
Rabbit Society and Central Alabama EARS. EARS
became a fully licensed HRS chapter in March of 2004.

Currently, EARS boasts four fully licensed fosterers, three
fosterers in training, 2 satellite foster homes, 5 fully licensed
educators and 4 educators in training. They have 21
volunteers in addition to those licensed educators. To date,
EARS has rescued 44 rabbits (21 in 2004) and adopted
out 32, 12 in the first quarter of 2004! They currently have
22 rabbits in foster care.

EARS has been working with the Greater Birmingham
Humane Society, Shelby County Humane Society, Lee
County Humane Society, Tuscaloosa Animal Shelter, and
Alexander City Animal Shelter to help place their rabbits,
either in foster or permanent homes, and to educate their
staff, volunteers and the general public on the care,
behavior, etc. of rabbits. One of their proudest
accomplishments was putting a halt to the horrible act of
giving away rabbits at carnivals by Helena Elementary
School and the Shelby County schools. Happily, Linda
Howard was asked to come back to the Helena
Elementary School this year to give a talk to the students
and faculty about the proper care of rabbits, thus
educating them on the reason rabbits, or any live animal,
should not be given away as prizes.

Several times a year, Central Alabama EARS hosts a
B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Bunny) party. I was privileged
to be invited to attend their most recent event at Chapter
Co-Manager Linda Howard's home. Several (only the
healthy and sociable please!) bunnies came by to visit,
along with their humans. And of course, those rabbits who
do not like to travel sent their humans alone. Not only was
this a terrific fund raising event, with items such as logo
baseball caps and hand painted bunny picture frames to
lots of bunny toys and treats available, but it also gave
those attending the opportunity to meet other rabbit people
and, of course, to talk about their critters.

Events -

Some of the events that Central Alabama EARS attends
are listed below. Not only do these events bring the idea
of rabbits as companions, they also allow the EARS
volunteers to teach people about rabbits and their care. In
Birmingham: Bark in the Park, DooDah Day, and
Wagathon. In Tuscaloosa: Brownie's Pet Extravaganza,
Homeless Pets Rally, And Pet Paw-Loosa.

Fundraising -

To raise funds for the spay and neuter of their foster buns,
and any medical care that may be needed while they are in
the fostering system, Alabama EARS has the following fund
raising programs (among others). They provide boxes of
timothy hay to one of their veterinary hospitals who puts
the income "on account" to cover the costs of EARS'
spays and neuters.

For a $20 donation, your own rabbit can sponsor an
EARS foster rabbit! The sponsor bun's picture will appear
on the website next to the foster rabbit.

Spare change? EARS will provide you with a Fun-Bun
Money Jar. All you have to do is drop in your change at
the end of the day. When the jar is full, exchange it for an
empty one!

Another wonderful fundraising activity they participate in is
a program at Barnes and Nobles Book Stores where non-
profits are given the opportunity to sign up for several days
and wrap gifts at their local stores. B & N provides the
space and all materials needed to wrap gifts while
non-profit organizations provide the manpower in
exchange for donations. We usually take the three days
preceding Christmas and wrap gifts from 10 a.m. to
11 p.m. These are the busiest and most profitable days
during the entire Christmas season.

Donations -
Currently, Alabama EARS is looking for donations of:
x-pens (to house foster rabbits); a digital camera to take
pictures of the foster rabbits for publication; stamps for
mailing out care information; photocopying of handouts;
litter boxes with grates, food and water bowls; Care Fresh
litter; gift certificates to: Petmed, Riverview Animal Clinic
or Becker VMA Animal Clinic for spays & neuters,
Oxbow Hay Company.

To contact Alabama EARS, please visit their website at:
www.alabamaears.org. To contribute a donation to support
Alabama EARS, please send a check to:

Alabama EARS
940 Beech Lane
Birmingham AL 35213

You can also make a donation to Alabama EARS through the HRS
website at http://www.rabbit.org/hrs-info/donation.html. Please
be sure to include "Alabama EARS" in the designation field to
ensure that we are able to direct your donation to the chapter.



** Chapter Updates

* San Francisco/Peninsula Chapter

San Francisco/Peninsula Chapter (http://tinyurl.com/yskdd)
Manager Donna Jensen writes: "We are in the process of
teaching are annual Summer Camp 101 at Peninsula
Humane Society. It is a week long camp which runs
during the months of July and Aug. The children mostly
come from the Peninsula and range in age of 8 to 10 years.
There are about 15 children in the camp. The rabbit class
is about 30 min. longs for two groups of children 8 in
each group.

They see the video on activities that promote a Bunny's
Fitness first and then I give a talk on rabbit care. My dog
Teddy's always come to the camp to show he kids that
dogs and rabbits can be friends. We bring Charlotte
or Sawyer one of are educational rabbits for the kids to do
a hands on with. They can pet or even feed the rabbit.
Charlotte has been teaching this class for five years now
and is always a big hit."


* Buckeye Chapter

The Buckeye Chapter (www.ohare.org) celebrated their
Southern Ohio summer picnic on July 24th at Julefs Park in
Cincinnati.

The Buckeye House Rabbit Society has fantastic news
about Finn, a sweet bunny born with a cruel leg deformity
and, was thought, destined for a wheel-cart. To read the
update and see current photos of pretty Finn, please go to:
http://www.ohare.org/specials.htm#finn.

Kudos to all involved in Finn's foster and medical care.
This is rabbit care at it's finest!


* Rhode Island

Sweet Binks Rabbit Rescue in Rhode Island
(www.sweetbinks.org) had a Members' Potluck Luncheon
on July 3rd. It was a great day with lots of wonderful food
and a very good turnout. Member Elizabeth Lloyd
conducted a NIC Condo demonstration and 3 large
condos were donated to Sweet Binks for our sponsorship
program. A great opportunity for Sweet Binks members to
get together and share bunny tales and more!

Sweet Binks had a large fundraising party on Aug. 28th at
VASA Park in Foster, RI. There were several live music
groups, food, beverages. and many great raffle prizes such
as a week Maine vacation home, original artwork and
more.


* Solano/Sonoma Chapter

The Solano/Sonoma Chapter (www.northbaybunnies.org)
has created a tri-fold brochure entitled "Rabbits Make
Great House Pets" which is loaded with pictures and
practical, easy to understand care directions. The
brochure is available in English and Spanish and any group
can add their logo to the front panel. It is under
consideration by Solano County Animal Control. For a
copy in Quark X-Press or .pdf, email:
auntsylbun@...

Another myxomatosis case has been confirmed in the
Solano/Sonoma Chapter area. The chapter has a 2-page
article about this horrific & deadly disease which describes
how symptoms develop over the incubation period and
discussing one experimental treatment. To obtain a copy
of this article, write to: auntsylbun@... with the
phrase "short myxo" in the subject line.

Partly due to the myxomatosis cases, chapter leadership
has committed to building screened outdoor exercise areas
for their foster and sanctuary homes. They urgently need
building materials and would welcome gift certificates from
Home Depot as well as cash donations.

If you can help, please send donations to:
HRS - Solano/Sonoma Chapter
8045 Mirabel Ave
Forestville CA 95436.


** NEW HRS Items Available at Cafepress

Dozens of brand new tee shirts, mugs and buttons are
available at a new cafepress.com shop:
http://www.cafepress.com/hayward_rabbits. Proceeds
from the sale of these items go to the care of the Hayward
Rescued Rabbits and other bunnies in need. More items
are on the drawing board so please, check the store for
more new items in upcoming weeks. Thank you!


** Join House Rabbit Society Today!

If you are not a member of House Rabbit Society, please
take this opportunity to join us. 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


** Aimee, Apple, Hope, Lulu, Toby and Zorro **

This newsletter is dedicated to these six very special rabbits.
Some were horribly abused. Most were special needs. All
left us far too soon.

http://tinyurl.com/6dvzw
http://tinyurl.com/3r83r


** On behalf of the rabbits, thank you. **