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


** Las Vegas HRS in the News

BUNNY RESCUERS:
Society members save abandoned pets from shelters
Summerlin View - Northwest Las Vegas 9/1/2004
By Jan Hogan - View Staff Writer

Domestic rabbits are the third-most popular pet in
America. They rank No. 1 when it comes to
abandonment.

Many are purchased as Easter bunnies and viewed as cute
and cuddly when they're little. But many get dropped at
shelters after interest in them wanes.

A few years, ago. Summerlin resident Maria Perez began
a one-woman crusade to capture and adopt out those
bunnies. She rescued roughly 300 domestic rabbits since
her crusade began. She adopted two, Pocket and Cloe.

This year she established Las Vegas House Rabbit Society.
The group, which also can be reached toll-free at
(888) 887-4010, or on the Internet at
http://tinyurl.com/688hl, rescues the furry critters from
shelters, quarantines them to ensure they are healthy and
gives them medical treatment if needed.

The group also spays or neuters the bunnies.

The latter is important because bunnies can reproduce at
three months of age and litters can be as large as 12. In
one year, Perez said, two rabbits and their offspring can
result in about 300 bunnies.

After their medical needs are seen to, volunteer foster
families then take them and ensure they receive
socialization skills, like potty training.

The group will not take owner-relinquished bunnies nor
does it rescue wild rabbits.

Rabbits make quiet pets and it's best to play with them at
their eye level. Notoriously near-sighted, they startle easily
and "freak out," Perez said, if picked up. It's an innate
predator response thing. They also don't like jingling
jewelry and feel vulnerable on slippery floors. The animals
are social and love attention. They will play with "noise
toys" and toss them about. They purr when happy, oink or
growl when mad. Thumping the foot sounds an alarm.
Research shows they have a photographic memory.
"They're also sugar freaks," Perez said. "There's nothing
they won't do for a banana."

When it comes to their constitution, domesticated rabbits
are delicate animals and need to be kept indoors. They
thrive in cold weather but will die if left outside in weather
85 degrees or higher.

The rescue group cannot even transport them in summer
because car air conditioning systems are not sufficient.

Just like dogs, they require a pet sitter as upsetting their
daily regime can bring on anorexia, a condition they can
only tolerate for a couple days.

"It's not OK to throw down a bucket of pellets and go
away on vacation, "Perez said. "I use a pet sitter."

Like puppies, they are diggers and chewers but that
behavior is something which can be easily addressed.

Southwest resident Kathy Jung has always been an animal
lover. She got involved in the rescue group after a
backyard landscaping project exposed burrows with baby
bunnies. She is raising them and is now a volunteer foster
parent.

At her first meeting with Perez, which took place at a
veterinary office, Jung offered to house seven recently
rescued rabbits. "How do you pick and choose which
ones to take? she said. "I couldn't, so I took them all."

For each rabbit rescued, the medical bill runs about $500.

Area veterinarians who are working with the rescue group
include Susan Keeney at the Lake View Animal Hospital,
Jamie Sulliban with Hualapai Animal Hospital, Robin Miller
of the West Flamingo Animal Hospital, Jason Sulliban at
the Gentle Doctor Animal Hospital and Christine
Kolhmstetter of Cheyenne West Animal Hospital.

Last year, the group accumulated veterinary bills totaling
$21,000.

Anyone looking to adopt a rabbit from the group is
carefully screened, must pass a house inspection and sign
an agreement. The rabbit remains the property of the
rescue group to ensure the bunny is not sold for some
commercial purpose.

The Las Vegas House Rabbit Society has 35 members
and is looking for more. Volunteer foster families are
needed and donations are appreciated. The group is trying
to raise money for an Adopt-a-Mobile that will allow them
to transport the animals in a climate-controlled vehicle.


** Hoarder's Love For Animals is a Cruel One

Star Tribune Minnesota 8/14/2004
Jon Tevlin and Deborah Caulfield Rybak

Cathy Tarnowski brought home her first bunny when she
was in the third or fourth grade. Afraid her mother would
find out, she hid it under her bed for three days.

"My mother heard it thumping," said Tarnowski. "She said
it wasn't a good pet to have at the time. So we took it to
the petting zoo at Como Park. I went to see it once a
week."

It was the first time someone took a bunny away from
Cathy Tarnowski, but it wouldn't be the last.

Monday, at Tarnowski's rambler in St. Anthony,
firefighters and humane society officials removed 136
rabbits, 77 of them dead in her freezer and most of the
others in bad shape. It was the second time in five years
that authorities had been called to her house. In 1999,
they removed nearly three times that many.

Tarnowski's situation is typical of a problem that is
increasingly receiving recognition across the country. Pet
lovers who take in more animals than they can handle.
Experts call it animal hoarding. Society, however, often
brushes it off as eccentric behavior by overly loving pet
owners.

But hoarding causes suffering and death to hundreds of
animals each year in Minnesota; it creates a health hazard
and burdens law enforcers; and it costs taxpayers and
private organizations who often get stuck with the bill.

Repeat offenders are the norm, not an exception. Keith
Streff, director of investigations for the Animal Humane
Society of Hennepin County, put the recidivism rate for
pet hoarders at "100 percent."

The handling of Tarnowski's case reflects a system that,
despite the strengthening of Minnesota's animal cruelty
laws in 2001, seems unable to protect the animals, nor help
their misguided keepers, many of whom suffer from mental
illness.

Conflicting stories

Tarnowski seems like the last person in the world to harm
an animal. A slight, meek woman who trembled as she
spoke to reporters Thursday, she immediately inquired
about her bunnies.

"How is Speckle?"

Told that Speckle was fine, tears welled in her eyes.

Tarnowski insists that none of her current rabbits was new
-- they dated back to her first raid in 1999 and had been
hidden with friends. "They were all sterilized, and all of
them were very old, but they were healthy," she said,
adding that she'd spent thousands in veterinary bills caring
for them.

The report from the Humane Society, in Golden Valley,
told a different story.

Of the 59 live rabbits recovered, all but 22 had to be
euthanized. Of the remaining rabbits, none of the males
was neutered; all had "grossly overgrown nails, and most
had urine/feces-stained feet," the report said. Few had the
glossy coats of a healthy animal, and many were scarred,
either from fighting or mating.

"We always have a feeling of dread when we know one of
these cases is looming," said Dr. Kim Culbertson, a staff
veterinarian at the Golden Valley facility who says she has
seen dozens of cases. "It never gets easier."

And it's never cheap. The cost of handling this latest batch
of rabbits will come close to $10,000, said Kathie
Johnson, manager of the Humane Society's veterinary
department.

Johnson said they see two or three such cases a year.
Most of the state's hoarding cases end up in Goldern
Valley -- one of the five largest humane societies in the
country -- because it's the only facility capable of handling
such large number of animals. "We end up eating a lot of
the costs," said Johnson, whose organization is financed
by private donations and grants.

After the 1999 raid, Tarnowski sold a second house
(inherited from her mother) to pay bills and to clean up the
mess in her St. Anthony home. She is worried about the
cost of this latest cleanup: "I don't want to lose my home."

It will need some work. Two days after the raid, her
garage was filled with furniture; sawdust and feces were
heaped in a trash container in her driveway, and mice
scurried down the exterior walls near the front door. Even
outside, the odor was intense.

Still, she maintains that she was a dedicated caregiver.

"Every night before I went to work, I checked on
everybody," said Tarnowski, who lives alone and says she
has no relatives. "Even if I didn't eat, I always made sure
they got fed."

This was going to be the last bunch of bunnies, she swears.
"I made a promise to them -- this is going to sound silly --
but I made a promise to my bunnies that I wouldn't take in
any more, that I would just see them through to the rest of
their lives."

The dead rabbits found neatly placed in plastic bags in her
freezer were to be cremated one day. "I was going to
spread their ashes on the grave where I am going to be
buried," she said.

Legal confusion

Investigator Streff has heard stories like Tarnowski's all
too many times, and any sympathy he feels for offenders
has waned as the bodies of animals pile up.

"I hate to sound callous," he said. "I can forgive once, but
not twice."

Streff knew that Tarnowski, like all the other hoarders he
has encountered, would offend again. He said her will
push for gross-misdemeanor charges or even a felony.

In her first case, she was initially charged with animal
cruelty. St Anthony prosecutor Steve Carlson said his
office reduced the charge to creating a nuisance, provided
that Tarnowski refrain from owning rabbits -- except for
three she was allowed to keep -- pay some court costs,
avoid any offenses for one year and get psychological
testing.

During the one-year probation, there were no complaints,
Carlson said.

Monday's seizure was prompted by a neighbor's
complaint about odor.

"How do you stop this? I don't know anything you can do
but rely on neighbors," Carlson said. "It's like trying to
stop DWIs."

Gov.Jesse Ventura signed a law in 2001 making any
cruelty to animals a potential felony. However, calls to
numerous legal officials in counties where there have been
problems revealed that most didn't know of the law or
understand it. Most thought animal hoarding that leads to
illness or death had to be treated as a misdemeanor.

And even though veterinarians are required to report any
signs of abuse, that's easier said than done, said Dr. Jim
Winsor, president of the Minnesota Veterinary Medical
Association.

"We aren't in their homes; we might just see one animal
that comes in," he said. "Usually we would just try to work
with owners on the care, if the pet seemed neglected."

He added, "Most vets feels that they don't have the
authority or expertise to deal with it. I also think the other
fear is that if we share medical information with outside
parties, we could get sued."

Anthony Spector, an attorney who does pro bono work
for the Humane Society, also blames timid enforcement on
what might be called "the Aunt Mabel effect." Most
hoarders are older women, usually single. Prosecutors
who wouldn't flinch from tackling cases against owners of
illegal fighting dogs often back away from animal hoarders
under the rationale that juries won't convict a nice lady
with too many pets.

"But at the end of the day, the results are the same," said
Spector. "The animals (in a hoarder's house) have burns
from lying in urine, fecal stains, tumors and parasites.
Sadly, it's a fate worse than death."

Jared Peterson, assistant Brown County attorney, knows
how difficult prosecution is. Two years ago, county
officials seized more than a dozen dogs from a Sanborn,
Minnesota farm, just six months after they removed 85
mistreated dogs from the farm.

Amelia Odegaard, 52, a repeat offender, pleaded guilty to
a misdemeanor. A second charge was dismissed under the
condition that she follow several court mandates, including
a limit on the number of pets. A county representative
visits the farm monthly to check for mistreatment.

Human cost

Psychological profiling of animal hoarders is a new field of
study. Offenders are thought to suffer from various
afflictions, including delusion, pre-dementia, addiction,
feelings of childhood abandonment or obsessive-
compulsive disorders. Or, according to research by
Arnold Arluke of Northeastern University, they may be
deviants who learn to use illness as an excuse for
controlling behavior of "passive cruelty."

Tarnowski, 54, says she intends to see a counselor, but
only to deal with the grief of losing her rabbits. "I'm not a
bad person. I'm all alone," she said. "I have no one. This
was my little family, and I would do anything for them."

While she has lost her beloved animals, she said people
have come forward to help her: "I never knew I had so
many friends. Everyone has been wonderful."

And she hopes one day to be reunited with her rabbits, at
least in spirit.

Until then, she said, "I'm done." Thinking it over, she
added, "Or maybe I'll just get one bunny. Maybe two."

(For more information about this case, please go to the
Minnesota HRS web site: http://www.mnhouserabbit.org).


** KC and St. Louis Participate in Vet Conference

Contributed by: Jennifer Habernal (aka Snowpea's Mom)
Kansas City HRS

The Kansas City (http://tinyurl.com/2rbk5) and St. Louis
(http://tinyurl.com/22vn7) chapters worked the Central
Veterinary Conference which was held in August in
Kansas City. There were over 6,000 attendees for the
conference (this number includes vets, vet techs and vet
administrative staff). We had a good turnout at our booth
this year. We handed out close to 200 information
packets. We had a few vets come to talk with us
specifically. We also educated many vets who are
interested in learning more about rabbit health!

We have 4 pages of vets from around the country who are
interested in learning more about rabbit health and who
were interested in working with their local HRS chapter.
Once I get a chance to go through the list, I will email the
chapters where the vets are located. These vet leads could
have the potential to turn into great assets!

We also had people tell us that they give out the national
website all the time, and a few people told us that HRS
saved their bunny, either from talking with their local
chapter regarding a health problem, or getting a vet referral.
It was very encouraging to hear that we are making a
difference and that the website is a great reference tool for
those wanting to be educated.

We were surprised at the number of people who visited
our booth that have rabbits as pets, they all seemed to
want to tell us stories of funny things their bunny does. We
estimated that about 60% of the people we talked with
had bunnies of their own! Plus, we had some of the other
exhibitors come and talk with us about the care of their
own bunny. So, not only did we educate the vets, but the
other exhibitors as well!

It was a great experience for both chapters to participate,
once again, in this conference.


** Lucky Update

The pre-trial hearing in this cruelty case has been continued
to November 16. Please check: http://tinyurl.com/6kevt for
updates.


** National CourtWatch Center

Pet-Abuse.com is dedicated to educating and advising the
public about animal abuse. They have recently created
National CourtWatch (http://tinyurl.com/5kd7f) a dynamic
listing of upcoming animal abuse/cruelty court dates
nationwide. If you know of animal abuse/cruelty cases in
your state, please submit them to this site.


** Designing a Habitat for Your Rabbit

Learn how to create a well-designed, easy-to-clean habitat
for your bunny: http://tinyurl.com/5m7dd.


** HRS Chapter Item of the Month

The Sacramento House Rabbit Society sells an
entertaining poster which delightfully describes the physical
features of rabbits which make them unique and marvelous
companions. On the wall of your shelter or your office, this
poster will certainly garner attention and be a conversation
piece. To view this poster, please go to:
http://tinyurl.com/3mzuj; and scroll to the bottom of the page.
(Click on the poster image for a larger view.)

The Sacramento Chapter was established in the mid-90's
and works closely with the Sacramento SPCA to place
rabbits into permanent and foster homes. Currently, they
are working to place rabbits rescued from a trailer park in
Galt CA.

Please help support the work of the Sacramento Chapter
by purchasing one (or more!) of these posters for yourself
or as a gift for your bunny loving friends.



** Chapter Updates

* Oregon

National HRS educator, Mary Huey, of Portland, answers
all the calls to the Rabbit Advocates' (a non-profit
organization she helped found 2 1/2 years ago) helpline
which resulted in her taking part in two recent Oregon
rescues.

Approximately 15-20 young rabbits were released into an
Aloha neighborhood street late one night when their
hutches were deliberately opened and the rabbits were
released. Their owner immediately moved from the junk-
strewn property which was rumored to be a drug house.

Mary did the rescue by herself, over a period of several
days, but not before one rabbit was killed by a car. She
was able to rehome four of these rabbits and has added
the remaining nine to her warren.

Shortly after this rescue, a variety of rabbits were released
into a local Beaverton park. Accompanied by other
rescuers from Rabbit Advocates, Mary was able to help
place the ten rabbits into safe custody.

Mary took an active part in the Rabbit Advocates' annual
garage sale last June. Over $5,000 was earned. Much of
this money was designated for their medical fund. This
money is used to help needy rabbits with spays/neuters
and other health problems. (http://www.adoptarabbit.org)


* New York City

The NY City Chapter's 9th annual Rabbit Care
Conference is coming up on October 17th. Author Anne
McBride is being flown in from England to be the
conference's guest speaker. She will be talking about
rabbit behavior and signing her book "Why Does My
Rabbit?"

Anne McBride is an animal behaviorist at the University of
Southampton. She has done extensive research on rabbits
and lives with bunnies in Southampton, England.

"Rabbits are now the third most popular animal pet in the
United Kingdom, following cats and dogs, but few owners
understand their behavioral needs. Many pet rabbits
develop problems which could be avoided if their living
conditions were adapted to allow them to follow their
natural instincts, and in this important book Anne McBride
explains how this can be done and why it should. She
describes the influences on behavior, the history of the
domesticated rabbit, how rabbits live and breed and the
instincts, inherited from the wild rabbit, which make a
rabbit do what it does." - amazon.com -

To purchase a copy of Anne McBride's, Why Does My
Rabbit?, go to amazon.com via the HRS link at
www.rabbit.org so that HRS receives 5% of your
purchase price from amazon.

Join us for our 9th annual Rabbit Care Conference!
Sunday, Oct. 17, 2004, in New Rochelle NY
Special guest speaker: Anne McBride, author of "Why
Does My Rabbit?"
Details at www.rabbitcare.org


* San Diego

HRS San Diego Chapter (www.sandiegorabbits.org) held
their Bunnyfest on September 19th. There were craft
vendors, gifts for people and their rabbits as well as great
food and a huge auction. Dr. Jeff Jenkins spoke to the
crowd about rabbit care and Jodi McLaughlin, an animal
massage therapist, showed massage techniques that can be
used on rabbits. The event drew hundreds of people to
Heritage Park to learn more about rabbits and to celebrate
these special animals. The San Diego Chapter is happy to
announce this fundraiser brought in approximately $8,700.
to help further the chapters goals of rescue, adoption and
education.

Special thanks goes to the following HRS Educators who
worked so hard - Judith Pierce pulled together more than
100 auction items, Debra Doerfler organized the Cottontail
Cafe which did incredibly well, Sandi Stewart kept a
watchful eye on the rabbits resting at the Lagomorph
Lounge and Larry Dudus worked the surprisingly popular
Compost Info Table. Thanks to these wonderful
volunteers and others, Bunnyfest was a huge success.

To see photos of San Diego's Bunnyfest 2004, go to:
http://tinyurl.com/3wy3l


* Rhode Island

Sweet Binks (http://www.rirabbits.org) had our first major
fundraising event on August 28th at VASA Park in Foster,
RI. There were five live music acts, a huge raffle, good
food and more. We are pleased to announce we raised
over $3500. for shelter improvement projects. Thank you
everyone who came out and supported Sweet Binks on
that very hot day!

Sweet Binks is also donating $5 for every adopted rabbit
in the month of October to the Susan G. Kormen Breast
Cancer Foundation. Several members are matching or
exceeding Sweet Binks pledge. We feel because many of
our adopters, friends, and volunteers are women and have
been through breast cancer or know someone who has,
that we would not only support our rabbit friends this
October, but also another important cause.

Sweet Binks expects to conduct our 300th adoption in
October as well!



* Colorado


Colorado HRS (http://www.coloradohrs.com) made close
to $1300 at its garage sale this summer.

Our annual Bunny Boutique will be held November 21st.
This is our largest fund raiser. Toys, treats, housing, etc.
will be available for people to purchase for their rabbits,
and there will be all sorts of bunny-motif items for humans
as well.

We continue to participate in a variety of booths at
everything from pet expos to farmers markets.

We have appointed a "Construction Manager", Kerry
Endsley who is organizing a variety of construction
projects. The first of these, well underway at this time, is
the creation of six bunny-and-predator proofed outdoor
runs for the rabbits so they can get fresh air, sunshine and
exercise on a regular basis (weather permitting). Windows
and possibly skylights will soon be added to the bunny
rooms so we'll have more natural light there.

Initial designs are being considered for a new building to
house the rabbits which will provide all of them with runs,
and hopefully, both indoor and outdoor space. The
realization of such a building is, of course, further in the
future, but if and when it happens, the current bunny
rooms may be converted to boarding space and a larger
shop, with the current shop space being used for a meeting
room.


** Support HRS with eBay Auctions

Now your eBay auctions can benefit House Rabbit
Society! To learn how you can participate in this exciting
new program, please go to:
http://www.rabbit.org/links/missionfish.html


** Shop at cafepress.com and Support HRS

Browse and shop at the following five cafepress stores and
support House Rabbit Society rescue and education work
nationwide.

Sweet Binks Rabbit Rescue of Rhode Island
http://www.cafepress.com/sweetbinks

Minnesota House Rabbit Society
http://www.cafepress.com/mnhrs

Colorado House Rabbit Society
http://www.cafepress.com/4cornersbuns

Hayward CA Rabbit Rescue
http://www.cafepress.com/hayward_rabbits

House Rabbit Society National
http://www.cafepress.com/hrs2

Use coupon code 5ANNVRYSAL before October 11
and save $2 on mugs, white tee shirts and mousepads.


** 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


** Baxter, Chester and Beautiful Diana **

All three of you died swiftly and unexpectedly.
Go gently little ones.


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