Ahem… Mercy Here.
Amy Deitchley of the Indiana House Rabbit Society speaking about having a bunny as a member of your family
Most of the time we, and by “we” I mean myself as the Rees Harps Spokesbunny, are willing to allow Ellie to handle the blog. Usually I have other more important, bunny-based, things to be doing with my day. But as Easter is this coming weekend, I felt I needed to take charge. I want to be very clear….
Bunnies and chicks are not Easter presents well-suited for children. Never has this been more obvious than in a year when giving baby bunnies and chicks that are dyed pastel colors has actually become a thing! A. bunny. should. NEVER. be. BLUE!!! Or pink or yellow, either. THUMP!!
We bunnies can be wonderful companions and we are happy to take you on as staff, under the right conditions, but there are some truly important things to know. Here is a video of the president of the Indiana House Rabbit Society, Amy Deitchley, giving an interview about having a bunny as a member of your family. I ask you to share this video widely as bunny abuse is a growing problem.
On the positive side, this week the Indiana chapter of the House Rabbit Society (HRS) is celebrating having rescued 1000 rabbits!!!! It is actually a MUCH higher number than that because we only really count the bunnies fostered by our chapter. I was part of a rescue, from a breeder and by Indiana Animal Control, of over 350 bunnies. Most of my fellow bunnies journeyed to other HRS chapters so we do not count them. Neither do we count all the bunnies our volunteers help, like the 86 Pamela recently flew down to Texas to take from Dallas to Atlanta. Indiana HRS has helped hundreds more bunnies that just the 1000 we have counted so we are especially proud of our achievement.
In case you have ever wondered, here is a little background on where all of the Rees bunnies came from (tap the photo to scroll through pictures of each Rees bunny). As I mentioned, I was part of a massive bunny rescue from a breeder in Indianapolis. I am terribly prone to upper respiratory infections because of the conditions where I used to live. Celeste, who just arrived last week, in her new Forever Home, was part of a more than 400 bunny hoarding confiscation in Texas. Carlos Lop-ez was “set free” (which means “left to die”) in a park and was captured by Indiana HRS. Carlos had a serious problem with his teeth and could not eat properly. He would have starved to death. To this day he will only eat soft food. (Well, except for mini-carrots and who wouldn’t make that exception, right!) David was also “set free.” People in the subdivision where he was caught reported seeing him being chased by dogs on several occasions. He survived because the bunny he was with, our beloved Neo who has hopped over the Bridge, was extremely smart and figured out how to stay safe. David would not have survived on his own. He is quite shy to this day.
In summary, bunnies are not “presents.” We are living, breathing, clever, demanding members of the family who require a major commitment from staff/family. If you are ready to give your hart and commitment to a bunny then welcome aboard, if not then please, make your Easter bunny a chocolate one.
Thump! – Mercy