Colorado House Rabbit Society Educator Featured in Southwest Art Magazine

My twin sister, Bonnie loves art and we both love bunnies so I was thrilled when she shared the article in Southwest Art Magazine about artist Beverly Endsley. Beverly happens to be an avid rabbit rescuer and an Educator with the House Rabbit Society.  Rabbits lounge in her Colorado studio and her first art models were a pair of white rescue rabbits according to the article. It's obvious the rabbits inspire Beverly since her art truly captures their personalities. Plus, she finds the time to share her knowledge as an educator with the Colorado House Rabbit Society.  She takes bunnies to the local television stations for interviews and to educate the public. With her husband, Beverly has 10 “special needs” rabbits and keeps the ones who are not adoptable.  (Read full article at this Link) (Photo credit: Southwest Magazine)

Southwest Magazine also has a sweepstakes featuring one of Beverly's beautiful rabbit paintings (see below).  Hey, I already entered myself.  You can enter at this Link.

Ultimate Fighter Shows Gentle Side with a Rabbit

Photographer Elizabeth Weinberg did a photo shoot for ESPN The Magazine last month featuring UFC fighter Jon Jones. She says on her website that it was "one of the most fun shoots I’ve worked on recently. The [ESPN] article is about how since these fighters are essentially lethal weapons, they have to keep their skills pretty much hidden…except when necessary. So we wanted to show him in a more gentle, pensive light." Below is one of the outtakesfrom the shoot featuring Jon smiling at a baby bunny. Very sweet. Rabbits always make people look good! 

Jon doesn't need help to be one of the good guys even if he and the bunny look terrific together. Jon came upon a woman recently whose GPS had been stolen from her car. He and his coaches chased down and subdued the perpetrator–at the risk of his upcoming fight (had he become injured). (Photo credit: Elizabeth Weinberg)

Japanese Rabbit Cafes

The Japanese have the right idea.  A cafe where bunnies are the main attraction instead of an entree.  The cafes are popular in Japan and a Canadian newspaper included a quiz asking readers if they thought a "rabbit cafe" would be a place they would visit.  Almost half of the respondents said, "yes" to spending time with rabbits while enjoying a cup of coffee.  This might be paws for thought for rabbit rescue organizations since people are interested in  pastry and coffee while they bond with a rabbit. Studies indicate rabbits descrease stress in women and girls particularly.  It would be a nice break from the office, too.  No rabbits named "Stew" at these cafes, just hoppy times. Link to article and video

Bunny Love on Valentine's Day

After reading the article by Cara Stefchak who revealed the identity of her cute and fuzzy Valentine’s date, Pancake, (a Flemish Giant Rabbit), I totally agree with everything she says.  I'm in bunny love, too. I have been for a long time. In fact, my relationships with rabbits have outlived men and cats. Right now I share my home with a male Holland lop who came to live with me when a friend could no longer keep him. He's not bonding with the female rabbits yet. It seems he has a crush on me. Last night he firmly nudged one of my cats out of the way so he could get his pets. So this year I won't be going out to a fancy dinner with my Valentine, because he hates car rides, constantly twitches his nose when he's nervous and he would rather share a salad at home.

By the way, you can learn a lot about romance from a rabbit.  See Rosemary Rabbit's Rules of Romance (Photo credit: Temple News - Cara Stefchak and Pancake)

Go Ahead and Make My Hay

It's been the Good, Bad and the Ugly this week over Clint Eastwood's Chrysler Super Bowl ad. It reminded me of a video he made awhile back only this video promoted second chances for animals. The video shows Clint and Dina Eastwood holding their SPCA adoptee "August."   Any guy who has made a long career of depicting tough guys on screen and calls a bunny his "son" is okay in my book. All the critics of Clint this week are "Unforgiven" by this bunny fan. (Photo: screenshot from video)

12 Year Old Rabbit isn't an Outlaw

Rocky the rabbit won't be taken away from his home in bunny handcuffs anytime soon. In Sidney, BC a resident has the town taking a second look at its bylaw that bans rabbits so companion rabbits and their humans aren’t breaking the law. The “lack of cleanliness” (the smell particularly)  and fear of farming operations in town prompted the original ordinance banning rabbits.  However, officials said, “We don’t go after the person that has a little pet bunny in the back yard.” Though 12 year old Rocky (pictured rabbit) technically isn’t allowed in Sidney, “the town is not in the business of forcing people to get rid of their pets. The rabbit’s been here a long time. There’s no reason why he should move.” Thanks to the Sidney Bylaw Officer for letting Rocky continue to enjoy his rabbit retirement on beautiful Vancouver Island.  (Photo credit: Peninsula News Review)

World Spay Day 2012

Since rabbits are such prolific breeders, it is fantastic to see bunnies included in the World Spay Day campaign for 2012 in the logo and with the poster below.  I get an email every week begging for help to find homes for unwanted litters.  The reasons are many: "I didn't know rabbits could be fixed" or "I had the male neutered and I thought the female wouldn't get pregnant" (males still have viable sperm for up to 6 to 8 weeks after neuthering). The most common reason I hear is an error in identifying gender: "the person (or pet shop) who sold me the rabbits told me they were two males (or two female rabbits)."  Male rabbits can be neutered between 3 and 5 months old and female rabbits are old enough to be spayed between 4 and 6 months when they hit reproductive age.  The gestation period is 31 days and the females can conceive the same day they give birth. Rabbits multiply fast. Neutering or spaying is 100% effective, permanent and no more worries about their raging "hare"mones.  (Photo credit: World Spay Day)

Bright Bunny Faces Amid Animal Abuse Sentences

This has been a week of news stories about sentencing for animal abuse. First, a rabbit farm operator in Colorado, then a hoarding case in the UK and now news out of Canada. The latest story from Ontario, Canada concerns a man who has been charged with nine counts under the Ontario SPCA Act, and may get jail time, a lifetime ban from owning animals and big fines after the SPCA rescued “many, many” rabbits from his property . The rabbits were reported to be without food or water and suffering from neglect. The good news is when I read these stories, the rabbits who survive are safe from further suffering. There are always people who care and just take a look at the two bunny faces (above) from the bunch rescued in Ontario. (Photo credit: Northern Life CA)

Bunny Buck Teeth Need a Dental Exam, Too!

Most of us don't enjoy a trip to the dentist.  But at least for rabbits their annual vet exam is also a trip to the dentist since your vet can do it all. Rabbits should have their teeth examined once a year and some experts recommend twice a year for lops and dwarf breeds.  This month is National Pet Dental Health Month and a good time to remember to take your rabbit in for an annual check-up especially if your rabbit is older.  According to Anna Meredith MA VetMB at University of Edinburgh Royal School of Veterinary Studies “if rabbits are fed on fresh and dried grasses and other herbage, dental disease is generally rare. Unfortunately, the incidence [of dental disease] in some, particularly extreme dwarf and lop breeds, approaches 100% whatever their diet. See this article at BunnyHugga to find out why. 

A good resource describing  Common Dental Problems  (by Dana Krempels, Ph.D.) is worth reading especially if you are new to rabbits. The House Rabbit Society also explains dental problems in detail at an informative article online, When Teeth Turn to Tusks.  A video from Bunny Central shows how to trim teeth if the rabbit has a malocclusion at Trimming a Rabbit’s Teeth. (I still leave it up to a vet to do.) And, if you want to see complete illustration of a rabbit’s skull and  teeth visit MediRabbit.  So smile - a bit of prevention will go a long ways toward a healthy rabbit.

Canmore Feral Rabbit Rescue Just Beginning

The long process to find a resolution to the feral rabbit issue in Canmore (Alberta, Canada) has been frustrating, but fortunately (for the rabbits) a nonlethal solution was reached.  The community has  started trapping its feral rabbits and is turning them over to a rescue group, EARS (Earth Anaimal Rescue Society).  The town has approximately 2,000 rabbits to remove, that's one for every six people in the town of 12,000.  According to EARS, 35 rabbits are at a temporary facility where they will be sterilized and then will be released to the sanctuary. Enough funds have been donated to save 175 rabbits ($17,000).  A quick calculation and it's obvious will take a lot more money to save the rest of those bunnies.  Rabbits like the ones pictured below from Canmore. There's plenty of need to help rabbits  in my own community, but my check for Canmore bunnies has been sent. Link to Donate

(Photo credit: Brandon Sun)

Cartoonist "Drawn to Bunnies"

I was happy to learn fellow bunny fan T.M.R. Arthur whose drawings I have seen on bunspace.com has now published a book of  her drawings called, “Drawn to Bunnies: A Collection of Rabbit Cartoons” (published by AuthorHouse). Her rabbit, Sundae, (a mini rex female) is featured on the cover and according to Arthur in the official press release "The book provides an insider's view of the life of the average rabbit, and is thus presented in scrapbook form.”  She goes on to say, “Rabbits are a lot more organized and lead much richer lives than one might think . . . The book helps to ‘humanize’ rabbits, and raise them above the level of food, fur and Easter symbols."  Suitable for all ages. Sounds great to me!