** What's New? At House Rabbit Society – May 2006


** HRS Teams Up With Puppy Paws!

House Rabbit Society is proud to announce that Las Vegas
HRS has developed a relationship with jewelry designer
Pamela Meltzer from Puppy Paws Inc. The Puppy Paws
Collection features 14k and sterling silver paw-shaped
pendants, earrings, cuff links, tie tacks, tuxedo studs, rings,
bracelets and charms accented with precious and
semi-precious gemstones. The line celebrates the love
people have for their pets.

Puppy Paws donates a portion of their proceeds to many
animal shelters and rescue groups to help with their efforts.
Not only did Puppy Paws just participate in a special
fund raiser with Las Vegas HRS, but because Puppy Paws
wanted to help rabbits as well, Puppy Paws has now
created a House Rabbit Pendant, made of sterling silver,
14K gold, and 14K gold with a diamond:
http://www.puppypaws.com/xcart/home.php?cat=99.
15% of every rabbit pendant sold by Puppy Paws through
their website will benefit both national House Rabbit Society
as well as the Las Vegas HRS Veterinary Fund. Free
engraving is included with every pendant.

Please go to http://www.puppypaws.com to see and
purchase one of these beautiful pendants. Puppy Paws
plans on adding new items to their Bunnies, Bunnies,
Bunnies category, all of which will benefit HRS, so please
visit again!



** Missouri HRS In the News

A few months ago, a large St. Louis radio station (KMOX)
did a feature on MO HRS. The station re-aired the
segment just before Easter and because the reporter won
an Edward R. Murrow award for excellence in
broadcasting in the category of Feature Reporting.
Missouri HRS is listed under Region 5 on the following link:
http://tinyurl.com/rhwu4. "It's nice to know the subject of
rabbits and the skill of the reporter, Debbie Monterey
of KMOX, was able to gain this type of recognition."
writes Joy Gioia, Missouri HRS (St. Louis).

** San Francisco/Marin HRS In the News

Never underestimate the power of the "underdog"... and
the underdog is a rabbit! The awareness of house rabbits
as sentient, highly intelligent companion animals continues
to grow in the mind of the public and in the media. These
misunderstood and underrepresented animals are the focus of
much interest--good and bad, during the Easter season.

San Francisco/Marin HRS had several articles in Bay Area
newspapers and a number of radio interviews over the Easter
season. In these interviews Chapter Manager Marcy Schaaf covered
the basics of rabbit care and adopting versus buying a
rabbit. And, since "Sonoma" rabbit is listed on many menus,
and rabbit fur is marketed as the "affordable new mink,"
the issue of rabbits being slaughtered for meat and fur,
without even the protection of the Humane Slaughter Act
was also raised Most people are unaware that the same
rabbits used for fashion and food are the same "pet bunny,"
who bonds for life with hers mate and sleeps on the sofa.
Great job!


** HRS Events

MD/VA/NoVa HRS recently had the opportunity to participate
in the first CVC East Veterinary conference in Baltimore.
We were the only non-profit exhibitor and we have
MO HRS to thank for that honor. MO HRS has participated
in the CVC conference in Kansas City for several years.
It's because of the conference organizers' positive
relationship with them and the National reputation of
HRS that we were offered a free booth (regular cost $2000).

Las Vegas HRS had a bunny condo building day at their
local Lied Animal Shelter on April 1. Las Vegas HRS volunteers
built 25 new condos to house that shelter's rabbits, to add to
the 14 that the shelter already had, and to approach the
chapter's eventual commitment of 50 condos. This is an
enormous accomplishment and got every one of the shelter's
rabbits off of the wire floors and into luxurious condominiums.

Other recent events include a successful Rabbit Adoption
and Education Day held by Monterey HRS on April 1 in
Pacific Grove, California and a fabulous BunnyFest held by
North Georgia HRS on April 23 in Atlanta.


** Rabbits and Easter Don't Mix in the Virgin Islands

House Rabbit Society members Liz and Tim Duffy live in
the US Virgin Islands and run a restaurant/bar called
Duffy's Love Shack. The Duffy's recently sent copies of
their local paper (the Island Trader) which included two
HRS Easter ads in the paper in the two weeks leading up
to Easter. They ran the full poster for "He's not a child's
toy" and also the "Easter and Bunnies don't mix" ad. We
don't know how many rabbits reside in the Virgin Islands,
but certainly, loads of US tourists saw the well-timed and
thought provoking ads. House Rabbit Society sincerely
thanks the Duffy's for their support.



** Rabbits and Easter in Charleston, SC

Jenni Beard, Supervisor, Charleston Area Branch, North
Georgia Chapter HRS (http://houserabbitga.org) submitted
the following article from the Post & Courier, the major
newspaper for Charleston SC.

"They're cute and cuddly and everywhere we look this time
of year. Who wouldn't want a bunny?

Area pet enthusiasts want folks to think twice before
hippity-hopping on down to the local shelter, rescue center,
pet store or flea market for a pet rabbit.

"We get lots of bunnies that were adopted with good
intentions," says Kay Hyman, spokeswoman for the John
Ancrum SPCA. She suggests that anyone determined to
have a rabbit should choose the edible or toy variety
instead. "We suggest giving chocolate Easter bunnies or
stuffed ones instead of live animals unless your child has
done the research and knows what he's getting into," says
Hyman. In fact, the House Rabbit Society has a national
campaign called "Make Mine Chocolate" to bring
awareness to the problem. "We recommend a stuffed
rabbit with big floppy ears that children can carry around
and squeeze and don't have to worry about hurting," says
Jenni Beard, who rescues rabbits scheduled to be
euthanized by shelters.

Wild vs. Domestic

Many live rabbits given as Easter presents find their way
back to the shelter or a rescue group a few months later,
Hyman says. "It's usually a couple of months after Easter
when people realize it takes more effort than they expected
or when they are tired of them," she says.

"A lot of times people are ill-prepared to take care of
them." Beard, supervisor of the Charleston area branch
of the North Georgia Chapter of House Rabbit Society
(the closest chapter to this area), owns four rescued
rabbits and has several more living with foster families.

"When we get into the summer, I constantly get phone calls
from people wanting to get rid of their rabbit because the
child is bored with it, or it's doing all these things people
didn't realize the rabbit was going to do," she says.

Hyman says many people mistakenly believe they can
release unwanted rabbits into the wild when they tire of
them. "I saw no less than five stray bunnies last year,"
she says. "That's an ongoing problem." Beard says, "People
often assume that because there are wild rabbits, that if
they release their domestic into the wild, it will have a long
life."

Actually, they are more in danger that way. "They don't
know how to find their own food or protect themselves
from predators," she says. "That's a common mistake
people make. They think they are doing a good thing, but
actually, they are setting the bunny up for a death
sentence."

Local wild rabbits are cottontails, but domestics are
descendants of wild European rabbits, Beard says.
Cottontails generally have agouti fur - that is, each
individual hair has "stripes" making the rabbit appear to
be black and brown speckled. They also have a little
white tail, are small in size and move quickly, Beard says.
"Sometimes it can be hard to distinguish between wild and
domestic," Beard says. "Basically, if you see a rabbit that
is white or black or spotted, it's always going to be a
domestic rabbit."

Not only are domestic rabbits at risk if released, they need
protection in a home environment, too. Even Hyman, who
says she has been an animal advocate since she was 10
years old, couldn't protect her pet rabbit. "When I was a
child, I had Mo, the love of my life," she says. "He was a
big white rabbit that I got for Easter. He would come when
he was called and sit on my lap on the swing on the porch.
I had him for three years, and then one day when I was at
school, I guess I had not latched the cage and he hopped
out and our two schnauzers got him. It was a very sad
time in my life."

Beard says rabbits should not be left unattended if they are
taken outdoors. "You never know when an animal will
wander into your yard. All it takes is a cat, possum or bird
of prey. They are all very quick, and rabbits are the
animals they are on the watch for. Also, if rabbits see a
predator trying to break into their cage, they can a have a
heart attack and die. I urge people to try to keep them
indoors."

Hare care

At Easter, especially, rabbits are easy to come by. As a
child, Hyman says she can remember seeing a sign
advertising rabbits for sale as pets and for consumption.
"The same people who sell them as pets also sell them to
people who eat them," she says.If a family were to call
Beard today looking to adopt a rabbit, she would not just
issue a blanket no, she says. But she wants to know that
people are adopting for the right reasons.

"I would ask you a lot of questions about your family and
why you are looking for a rabbit," she says. "Sometimes
people really do want a family pet. The key is that it's a
family pet and not a child's responsibility. I want to make
sure they want it to be part of the family and spend time
with them, not in a hutch in the backyard, ignored."

Beard's screening process includes a phone interview, a
written application and an in-person interview. Sometimes,
she even visits the home to make sure there's room for a
rabbit. "We try to have our rabbits as close to free range
as possible," she says. She understands that they can't
always have the run of the house, though."I have a formal
living room that I have antiques in, and my rabbits don't
go into that room," she says.

People often think that young bunnies are more friendly,
but sometimes rabbits start getting into mischief when they
reach maturity at age 3, 4 or 5. "Age has nothing to do
with it," she says. "All of a sudden, your rabbit is
destroying things and you think you got a bad rabbit."
Some are territorial, feisty and get into mischief, she says.
They may dig up carpet or chew baseboards and furniture.

"Rather than punishing a rabbit for acting on instinctive
behavior, provide them an outlet to do those things, like
chew toys or a box of hay to dig in," she says. "Sometimes
it takes creativity, work and investment."Rabbits are smart
animals, she says. They can be trained to use a litter box.
"They learn their names and understand commands," she
says. "I don't dare say t-r-e-a-t out loud around my
animals."

Hyman stresses that under the right circumstances, rabbits
are good pets. "They are a great starter pet, but they take
a lot of work," Hyman says. "They are definitely a
challenge to care for."

Beard says many people are mistaken about rabbit care.
"There are a lot of myths surrounding what rabbits are
like as pets," she says. "People often buy into it and think
a rabbit will make a great plaything for a small child, but
rabbits don't often go well with young children."

For one thing, rabbits don't like to be carried. "Some go
limp as a defense mechanism," Beard says. "People think
if they go limp, than they are content, but really they are
playing dead. They are not happy about being held."
Others may kick, scratch or bite. "It is not trying to be
mean," she says. "It's trying to protect itself."

They are also very fragile. If the rabbit's back legs aren't
supported when it is lifted, it can kick out, snapping its
back and causing paralysis or death.

Rabbits also need special care from a knowledgeable
veterinarian. "They need to be spayed or neutered for
health reasons, as well as reproductive reasons," Beard
says. "And even though they don't need vaccines, they
need regular checkups, and it's often more expensive to
have the vet see and treat them. People think if they
purchase a rabbit for a few dollars, that's all they'll be
spending. Unspayed, females are prone to uterine cancer,
and males are likely to spray their territory.

While children should not be the primary caregivers, they
are capable of helping, Beard says. "They are as much
work as taking care of a dog, sometimes more," she says.
"You can't expect a child to be responsible for those
needs." Parents also should realize that they will likely
inherit the pet when their child moves out. Bunnies
typically live about 12 years. Other difficulties of owning a
rabbit include potential digestive problems and gnawing on
carpeting and electric cords. "Electrical wires resemble
roots, so that's a natural action," Beard says. "If you don't
bunny proof, you'll not only be replacing cords, but your
rabbit could be electrocuted and die." Rabbit-proofing"
is not too difficult to do but does take some planning,"
she says.

For more information, visit http://www.rabbit.org or
http://www.makeminechocolate.org



** Last Male Purebred Pygmy Rabbit Dies

The last male pygmy rabbit in a Columbia Basin
endangered species, captive breeding project died
earlier this month: http://tinyurl.com/orxde



** HSUS Offers Reward in Rabbit Killing Case

Humane Society of the United States has offered a $2500.
reward in a case of rabbit cruelty in Yuma, Arizona.
Warning: The story is disturbing: http://tinyurl.com/larlv

Please send a message of thanks to HSUS for
publicizing this case and for posting a reward:
http://www.hsus.org/contact_us



** Rabbit Hunting in Bravo Reality Show

Bravo Channel's Real Housewives of Orange County,
episode 2, shows the mothers encouraging their sons to
shoot rabbits who frequent their properties. The show
(also listed as #102: http://tinyurl.com/hs7lb) is often
re-run and warrants objection:

Bravo Viewer Relations
c/o NBC Entertainment
3000 W. Alameda Ave.
Burbank, CA 91523

You can contact Bravo through their web site at:
http://www.bravotv.com/Contact_Us/



** Bunny Behavior: Things They Do and Why

For an excellent tutorial on bunny body language and
mannerisms, check out Bunny Behavior: Things They Do
and Why (http://www.mohrskc.org/hrswebpg17.html)
written by Joy Gioia of the Missouri chapter of the House
Rabbit Society.



** Disapproving Rabbits

This is an adorable and very funny web site chock full of
photos of rabbits in various stages of disapproval. The
author is unknown but we commend her/his sense of humor.
http://www.birdchick.com/adventures/rabbit/index.html



** Bunny Yawns Galore!

This web page is a collection of photographs (and
mini-movies!) of the oft seen, but rarely captured on film,
bunny yawn. Should you be one of the lucky few who
managed to capture this endearing moment on your digital,
please submit you photo to this growing collection:
http://talkingegg.com/humor/bunnyyawns.html



** Lagomorph Limericks

Exactly what it says. Enjoy!
http://carrotcafe.com/petbunny/lime



** A Rabbit Haiku

White rabbit jumps high,
acrobatically twisting
to land and run fast.

Written by HRS Educator (since 1999) Laura L. Barnes
Champaign, IL



** Is Your Bunny Shedding? You NEED this Comb!

I have groomed hundreds of rabbits at HRS headquarters,
foster homes and shelters and can attest that this incredible
grooming tool is the best, bar none, especially when a
rabbit is in peak shedding mode. A portion of the purchase
price goes to the Massachusetts House Rabbit Society.
Buy two. You'll be so thrilled with this ingenious comb,
you'll want to share. http://www.bunnygear.com



** Cooling Down a Hot Bunny

Heat is deadly to rabbits and when the temperature creeps
up into the 80s or more, heat stress becomes a real
concern. Overweight rabbits seem more susceptible to
heat stress-a good motivation to trim Bun down before the
hottest months of summer. Try these two articles for
many tips on cooling down an overheated rabbit.

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/warm-weather.html
http://www.rabbit.org/chapters/san-diego/health/cool.html



** Become a Member of House Rabbit Society

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



** Dedicated to the Deserving

This newsletter is dedicated to all the deserving rabbits
in cages at local shelters, waiting to go home.


** On behalf of the rabbits, thank you.