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How a BallerinaNamed ScarlettHopped Into My LifeBy Crystal Dombrow

I first reached out to NYC Metro Rabbitsin January to see if a bunny would be agood little companion for me. I’ve hadanimals since I was little and desperatelymissed having someone with me in myNYC apartment. I saw Scarlett (thennamed Cocoa) on the adoptable rabbitspage and wanted to meet her. Shelooked so tiny and adorable!

The next week, I stopped by the 86thStreet Petco and saw her hopping aroundher pen. The volunteers let me sit inwith her, and I immediately fell in love

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Masthead photo illustration by Mary Ann Maier, with photos by Ruby Gu. Ruby and Joe's rescue bunnies, Toffee and S'mores, have graced this space before. Mary Ann loves working with them because of their "delightfully disapproving" faces!

A Milestone: New York City Bans Sale of Rabbits by Pet StoresBy Natalie L. Reeves

Forget about buying a rabbit at a NewYork City pet store. A ban on the sale ofrabbits by pet stores was passed by theNew York City Council last year, and itbecame Local Law 5 of 2015 withoutthe mayor’s signature. The ban wentinto effect at the beginning of June.

Rescue groups may continue to adopt outrabbits in pet stores and at the AnimalCare & Control shelter, and, unfortunately,rabbits may still be sold by breeders,individuals and slaughter markets.

New York City joins San Francisco, LosAngeles, Chicago, San Diego and other

cities in banning the sale of rabbits inpet stores. San Francisco was the firstmajor city to do so, prohibiting suchsales more than 30 years ago, because ofthe correlation between Easter and theimpulse purchases of rabbits. Bans inother cities have largely been enactedduring the past five years.

Just a few years ago, obtaining this pet-store sales ban seemed unlikely. FormerNew York City Council SpeakerChristine Quinn killed most substantiveanimal welfare legislation introduced inthe City Council, and the topic became

Volunteer Spotlight:Zhen HeinemannIs Inspired byRabbit named COWPage 4

Robert KulkaOffers PersonalTribute to ThoseHelping Buns in NeedPage 6

AdoptapaloozaFeatured ManyOf Our LocalBunny StarsPage 7

Photo: Ja

ne O

’Wyatt

Herman (minus front teeth) deconstructs a willow ball at Petco Union Square.

NYCMETRO RABBIT NEWS JUNE 2015

Scarlett and Crystal.

Photo: Susan Lillo

THUMP JUNE 2015 2

lacking special expertise in the area.Rabbit-savvy vets generally recommendwaiting until a female rabbit is at least5-6 months old for this surgery.

Male rabbits may be neutered at around4 months, but pet stores generally sellyounger animals. According to theUSDA’s U.S. Rabbit Industry Profile,“[c]ommercially produced pet rabbitsare most often sold through pet storesand are often requested at four weeks of age. Older rabbits are not asdesirable…”

After I voiced opposition to the spay/neuterproposal, I met with other advocates todiscuss whether revising the language torequire that rabbits be a minimum agebefore being altered would fix theproblems in the bill. I said that I stillwould not support it. I did not believe itwould in practice be done safely, butimportantly, I wasn’t willing to settle. Ifthe council passed the bill with a spay/neuter requirement for rabbits, I believedthat would be it: We’d never again getthe opportunity to have the full banother municipalities had passed.

a political issue in the mayoral election.Ms. Quinn’s loss in the mayoral raceand departure from the council meantthat animal-friendly legislation finallyhad a chance.

With new City Council memberspledging to consider animal-relatedproposals, I believed the best step forhelping rabbits was to find the rightvehicle and attach an amendment.Before I’d gone to law school, I’dworked as an aide to the late Gov.Lawton Chiles of Florida, and Iunderstood that getting legislators tospend their time on a law specificallyrelating to rabbits would be an uphillbattle. Chances of getting a ban onrabbit sales passed would be muchgreater if we could lobby for anamendment to a legislative proposal thatalready had support.

That opportunity finally came in early 2014when a package of bills was proposed inthe City Council with the primarypurpose of protecting dogs and cats soldin pet stores. New York City could notinstitute an outright ban on the sale ofdogs and cats as other cities had done,because the state prohibits municipalitiesfrom doing so. Rabbit advocates like meare often annoyed when rabbits areforgotten in the law, but in this case theomission of rabbits in the state statute wasan oversight that worked to their benefit.

The pet-store legislative package thatwas proposed in the City Council inearly 2014 didn’t include a ban on thesale of rabbits, but would have requiredrabbits sold in pet stores to be spayed orneutered prior to sale. Most activistswere thrilled with the proposal, so Idrew some ire when I opposed the billin my testimony before the council.

The initial draft of the bill had beenwritten by those who didn’t understandthe potential deadly consequences ofrequiring pet stores to surgically alterbaby bunnies. Most rabbits sold in petstores are too young to be safely spayedor neutered, especially by a veterinarian

I thought advocates should play hardball.If the lawmakers in Albany hadunintentionally neglected to includerabbits in the state law relating to howmunicipalities could regulate pet stores,then the rabbits should benefit fromtheir mistake. There was no legal reasonthat the council could not ban the saleof rabbits, something I explained in thefirst hearing to council members. Theywere surprised because they had nothomed in on the fact that they were onlypre-empted from enacting a ban on thesales of dogs and cats, not other animals.

New York City’s bunnies were alsofortunate that the lobbyists who showedup at the council hearings to testify wereriled up about the additional reportingrequirements they would have withrespect to pet-store sales of dogs andcats, and consequently they didn’t focuson the rabbit ban issue. Neither, frankly,did most of the lawmakers. At the pressconference announcing the passage ofthe pet store legislation, neither of thesponsors of the legislation mentioned

Milestone (Continued from page 1)

(Continued on page 3)

Photo: Jane O’W

yatt

Kelly copes with heat at Union Square Petco.

THUMP JUNE 2015 3

with her. She was unusually social andconfident for a rabbit; she hopped rightup to me and sniffed me, hopped on mylap, and ran around me for the twohours I sat with her.

More than that, it felt like she had anold soul. The volunteers told me she wasabandoned by her first family as a babyand left outside to fend for herself. Shecame to NYC Metro Rabbits severelyemaciated and sick from living outsideand eating only the carrots a neighborwas giving her, but she pulled through.That little fighting spirit is alive andwell in her.

A Ballerina Named Scarlett(Continued from page 1)

rabbits, nor did most of the representativesfrom big animal-welfare organizationswho gave speeches.

Most of the time, I fight for rabbits tobe given more attention, but in thiscase, I think that the way the animal-community-at-large ignored rabbitsactually worked to our benefit. While

Milestone (Continued from page 2)

(Continued on page 4)

Scarlett also has an angular limbdeformity (probably from malnutritionas a baby bun), and her two front pawsturn out at a 90-degree angle like a littleballerina. That was a sign that she wasmeant for me, because I’m a longtimeclassical ballet dancer.

I visited her again the next day at Petco.We played together, and she did some -thing I’d never seen a bunny do! Sheflopped around my leg, rolling on herback like a little puppy and falling asleepright next to me. Susan, the volunteerthat day, said they hadn’t seen her dothat for anyone yet. She was so sweetand so calming to be around. I cameback every day for a week to sit with herfor at least an hour each time, prettysure that she would be my little bunny.

I had upcoming surgery that month andwasn’t sure I could take her home for afew weeks. After I finally decided tocommit to her, the volunteers kindlyput her in foster care until I could takeher home.

Ever since the night Scarlett came homewith me, she’s been incredible. Sheadjusted very quickly to my apartment,using her litter box impeccably andloving her condo. She’s been floppingfor me at least twice a day, and usuallymore. We have breakfast together everymorning and watch TV together atnight (She loves watching “Sons ofAnarchy”). She even hops onto thecouch or my bed to cuddle. Sometimesshe thinks she’s a cat and will sit next tome on the couch armrests, or hops ontothe couch back pillows. She’s a riot!

Scarlett crawls in my lap and falls asleepeither on me or right next to me everyday. She follows me around the apartmentand likes to “participate” in everythingI’m doing, like sitting next to me whileI’m folding laundry or doing dishes. Shequickly figured out that her salads livein the fridge, and she hops to a carpetspot directly across from the fridge andstares at it every time I open it now.

She doesn’t like it when I’m on mylaptop and not paying attention to her.She’ll jump on the couch and then siton the keyboard until I put the laptopaway. It’s adorable how smart she is. Shereminds me of a little dog; anytime I’meating something, I have to keep it awayfrom the floor, or she tries to gobble upa few bites. I learned the hard way withpotato chips, a turkey sandwich and agrilled cheese she tried to snatch awayfrom me. Meanwhile, Scarlett has beendevouring her hay and greens. She’s nowa healthy 3.5 pounds, healed from herpast mistreatment.

Wanting to let her be a free-range bun, Islowly started increasing the amount ofspace she could have in my apartment. I got her a puppy playpen and expandedit to the size of my living room beforeletting her be free-range. When I wassick at home one week last month, Islept in the living room with her andsaw how well she’d adjusted to theapartment. Aside from occasionallynibbling the couch, she only chewed onher toys (she loves the cardboard toiletpaper rolls).

rescuers are certainly grateful that NewYork City pet stores will no longer beadding to the shelter overpopulationproblem, we must be cautious aboutanticipating a large drop in the numberof the city’s homeless rabbits. Indeed,Los Angeles hasn’t yet seen a substantialdifference since it passed a ban, although

it hasn’t been long enough to draw anysignificant conclusions.

Rabbit breeders still have plenty of venuesto sell or give away their bunnies, soplease continue to spread the word aboutthe wonderful rabbits available foradoption at Manhattan Animal Care &Control and through NYC Metro Rabbit.

Photo: Crystal Dom

brow

Scarlett at home.

(Continued on page 5)

Volunteer SpotlightZhen Heinemann is a rabbit lover andvolunteer with Rabbit Rescue & Rehab.

Zhen HeinemannZhen Heinemann has been an AC&Cvolunteer since September 2011. Sheanswered the questions below:

What first brought you to RRR?

I happened to walk into an UWS petstore and saw a “free rabbit” andimmediately fell in love. She had beendumped at the pet store (one that soldrabbits) when her human had a baby. Icalled my husband; he met her; weclaimed COW as our housemate andafter two days of rabbit proofing thehouse and getting supplies, we went andpicked her up on Wednesday and tookher home. I immediately made her a vet

was doing hours of rabbit research a dayand was trying to convince myself and myhusband that this was a false pregnancydue to stress and hormones. Then onemorning at 7 a.m. when I let her out forher morning hanging out she went rightto her hay box without her normalcurious house check. She was there forabout two minutes and came out rightas my husband came home from a run.I started to explain to him what I thoughtwas peculiar and as I did the hay boxmade noise. COW wasn’t in it. I cried.My husband got a bit mad. And I toldhim to put gloves on and check it out.Two tiny peanut rabbit babies were in there!

We were nervous about when they wouldbe old enough to make more rabbits as

appointment at the Center for Avianand Exotic Medicine (CAEM) for acheckup and spay on the upcomingMonday. We slowly gave her more hoursand freedom in the house under ourwatch as we got used to each other. Shewas exhibiting some nesting behavior. I

THUMP JUNE 2015 4

apartment together now, so she deservesto enjoy her share of our home.

Scarlett likes her little wood-chip toys,and loves the twine I hang from hercondo for her to chew! I noticed thatshe tried to eat a tan shoelace off a pairof my shoes one day, and that twinelooks identical. So she chews all thetwine her little heart desires now. Sheseems very happy with her toys,including a cardboard box full of papershredding (which she removes from thebox and meticulously rearranges in acircle) and a bunny tunnel. She loves the “landscape” of my living room,scurrying under the furniture andaround the many floor pillows.

I named her “Scarlett Hunter” becauseshe’s so charming, feminine and sweet,like a little Southern Belle. “Scarlett” is also part of the title of one of myfavorite Grateful Dead songs (“ScarletBegonias”) and her middle name,“Hunter,” is an homage to the longtimerenowned lyricist/song writer for theGrateful Dead, Robert Hunter. And

funny enough, true to her name, Scarlettflops, cuddles and falls immediatelyasleep anytime I play Grateful Deadmusic, and ONLY when I play GratefulDead music. She even gets jumpy andnudges me to change the tunes when I play classical music, but not theGrateful Dead!

I leave my bedroom door open at nightfor her to cuddle with me when shewants to. I think she’s getting used tomy daily routine, because every morningwhen my alarm goes off, she hops ontomy bed and jumps all over me to “help”wake me up, sometimes relaxing tocuddle while I hit the “snooze” button.When I get out of bed, she hops right tothe fridge, waiting for her breakfastsalad. It’s absolutely precious!

She’s been a joy and such a sweetheart tolive with, and I’m so happy I get toshare my life with her. It’s so nice tocome home to her every day, and such apleasure that she looks so happy livingwith me. I’m honored to give her ahappy, loving, forever home.

Zhen with COW. Photo: Zhen Heinemann

Scarlett appreciates the extra space shegets to run around in, and enjoys sleepingon the living room carpet during theday. She’s been a very happy, free-rangebun. She flops and binkies her littleheart out when I’m home with her, so Iknow she loves the extra space. It’s our

A Ballerina Named Scarlett (Continued from page 3)

Scarlett at Petco, 86th Street.

Photo:Robert Kulka

VOLUNTEERS

THUMP JUNE 2015 5

Volunteer (Continued from page 4)

the spay/neuter cost of rabbits is high(higher by about 300% compared withdogs and cats). I reached out to MaryCotter and she and Cindy Stutts helpedus sex the babies and get our littleDeedle neutered at ACC (and Suji wasspayed at CAEM under a $99 new-client special). Ever since then we’vebeen a happy household of five. (I didgo back to the pet store and asked abouthow COW got pregnant and the managersaid, “Oh, no, that was a boy rabbit.”He was convinced that COW was maleand told me that he had put her in acage with another rabbit while they wereat the store and thought it was funnythat the other rabbit kept humping her.)

What keeps you coming back as aregular volunteer?COW is the best. She’s so smart, sweet,fun, beautiful, a bit lazy and trusting.Without her I wouldn’t have been ableto get through some days that first yearshe came into our lives; she’s my bestfriend and I will groom her forever. Iwant to celebrate her by giving somelove, time and care to other homelessbunnies and to help them get preparedfor their new forever homes.

What changes have you witnessed (ifany) in NYC’s rabbit scene since youstarted volunteering?No more bunny sales in pet storesstarting this summer! Backyard rabbithordes saved! A LOT more educationabout rabbits on TV (not buying forEaster and about adoption)!

Tell us about your own rabbits.COW is the own in charge and is twiceas big as the babies (they aren’t babiesanymore – they will be six this summer).She’s an English Spot mix and is sosmart and sweet and will take rubs fromme anytime. She comes when I call hername and has great litter-box skills (exceptwhen she digs in the box and kicks thelitter out onto the floor). She’s our second-place binkier and her binkies and runsare funny because she lumbers a bit(she’s not overweight; she’s just big and

not very graceful). She loves to bunch,be groomed, tear cardboard and eat!

COW has informed the babies that she isthe one who should get all the pets, so we have to sneak pets on the babies, orelse we can expect COW to come runinterference if we are petting the little ones.

Suji is our baby girl and we also call her Bougie. She’s a gorgeous (even has a Marilyn mark on her cheek), sassytroublemaker who will push you or digyou if you’re in her way and she’s myhusband’s girlfriend. She’s the one thatwill pee outside the litter box and knockover your cup of water, maybe evenwhile you’re watching her. She is fancy,lovely, graceful and strong-willed.

Deedle is our resident bunny athlete. Heis the best dancer and speedy obstaclecourse runner. He’s also the most skittishof the buns; he will rarely allow for morethan one or two quick pets on his head.He’s very handsome (his vet once saidthat he is the best-looking bun he hadever seen) and he is meticulously clean.He’s grey and white and the other twoare black and white. He is the protector.

They are all free-range buns but mostlyreside in Bunnytopia, our living room, andin their adored cardboard apartments!

What would your rabbit tell us his/herfavorite thing to do with you is?COW – be groomed/massaged for longsessions

SUJI – to get away with busting upsomething she shouldn’t be

DEEDLE – telling us what needs fixing(water bottle empty! Hay low!)

What is your day job/profession?I’m the director of public programmingfor Summer on the Hudson in District14 along the West Side of Manhattan.Come by May-September for free funoutdoor events!

What would you say to others who arethinking about volunteering?Join in, but don’t do it just because youthink the rabbits are cute. Do yourrabbit research and be prepared to toucha lot of poop. �

What are your best tips for new bunny parents?Use resources to do lots of research andlearn everything you can about rabbits(http://www.rabbitcare.org/ and I lovelanguage.rabbitspeak.com). Also, getdown on their level and interact withthem. Your will is not necessarily thewill of other living beings.

What is your favorite memory fromyour volunteer work?Watching the anxious or ill bunniesevolve to being happy as they are well-cared-for.

What do you like to do when you aren’tvolunteering?I go to work and I create interactiveperformance art.

What inspires you?Analogue beauty. Aged things. Magicmoments. Theatre magic.

Deedle and Suji. Deedle in back, COW in middle and Suji on right.

Photos: Zhen Heinemann

VOLUNTEERS

THUMP JUNE 2015 6

Photos: Robert Kulka

Dutchie & Brownie.

Frieda.

Cupcake.

Cadberry.

Angels Among UsBy Robert Kulka

Since the day over 12 years ago that Ihad a rabbit dropped at my doorstep, Ihave often said that the bunnies are ourguardian angels. So many times when aday was rough, I was feeling ill or justdown on everything, my Skip and now,Lara, have been there, ready to make itall okay. They would comfort me, cheerme up and make me laugh, or just giveme purpose, and take my mind off thedaily trials.

In the past four years I have come torealize there are other angels all about me.And that is you! You, the volunteers, thefosterers, the adopters and the ones whocare and support the cause. You, whospeak up for and protect the bunnies.

The stories of these sweet bunnies areoften hard to hear and nearly impossibleto comprehend: Bunnies starved andneglected to the point of barely breathing;rabbits injured and tortured and unableto move, let alone hop and run. They aremauled and left to die. They are surrenderedand left without love. They are kept inhorrible conditions. Most recently wesaw well over a hundred left to surviveoutside during a harsh and unforgivingwinter. How do you see and hear thesethings every day and not want to closeyour eyes and ears to it? How many areout there that we don’t hear about,simply left to die alone and frightened?

Helping a few – finding homes for them,helping to nurse some of them back to atrusting and adoptable condition – ishard work. It takes many hands andhearts to mend these innocents. Wecheck in on them, fight for them and situp half the night with them and nursethem. Sometimes we simply hold themso they know a brief moment of lovebefore they give up and find peace. Andeach time we lose one to the ravagesthey have suffered, we can almost losesight of all the work being done – becausewe cannot save them all.

VOLUNTEERS

So I want to honor all of you. Tired andexhausted and giving till your heartsburst. We neglect our families and ourown little ones at times. We open ourhomes and our wallets to try to make adifference. We shed quiet tears for them.At times we even neglect ourselves whilewe do what needs to be done.

Let me just cite a few things that may helpput it all in perspective so we can under -stand the difference we make each day.

As NYC Metro/Rabbit Rescue & Rehabwe have saved, nurtured and lovedcountless bunnies. Those we have lostknew love and care in their final moments.We have educated the public, and seenthe growth of more rabbit-savvy medicalunderstanding and treatment in theNew York City area. We have extendedour efforts to include causes and rescuesbeyond our immediate responsibility. Intwenty years we have grown to be a

team of nearly 100 volunteers workingwith over 300 rabbits each year. Wehave a solid social network. And the bestthing of all is that we are not just therefor the bunnies; we support each other.

That’s a lot to feel great about. Do weand can we save each and every rabbitthat needs our help? Unfortunately, no.As wonderful as that would be, that maynever be the case.

Have we made a huge difference? Ohyes, we have. That is something we eachmust hold on to and remember eachtime we think we aren’t doing enough orwhen we need to let go of a sweet soulthat crosses the rainbow bridge.

I think you all deserve a round ofapplause for all you do and all the loveyou show. So take a moment now andgive yourself a round of applause.

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Kelly.

Sign outside of Union Square Petco store.

Miss Nibbles.Mona.

Arthur.

Adoptapalooza!Our rabbits were among the stars atthe Adoptapalooza on Sunday, May31, at the Union Square Petco. Theevent was sponsored by the Mayor’sAlliance for NYC’s Animals, andfeatured many adoption activitiesand information booths. Rescuegroups from throughout the cityparticipated. Rabbit Rescue &Rehab/NYC Metro Rabbits had abooth in Union Square Park andadoptable rabbits inside the Petcostore. It was a fun, productive dayfor the volunteers and rabbits.

ADOPTIONS

Forever HomesFound!Rabbits adopted since the lastnewsletter include: Snoopy,Gunther, Lola, Ashlynn, Flash, Alba,

Pepito, Jess, Celeste, Pancho, Bugzi,

Simba, Coffee, Guiseppe, Allena,

Aslan, Holly, Theodore, Bamboo,

Thumper, Snowball, Bugz, Isobel,

Booboo, Greta, Peter, Dickenson.

Greta

Photo: Jane O’W

yatt

Two of Marcie Frishberg’s baby foster bunnies.

Herman.

Photos: M

aho Honda

(Continued on page 9)

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Imani.

Leon.

Nylah Nicole.

Roxanne.

Evelyn.

We Are Looking for Loving HomesWritten and compiled by Kirsten Ott

Nylah NicoleNylah Nicole is a small to medium-sizedblack helicopter lop who was found inQueens Village. This darling girl isclearly on the young side, and may bean abandoned Easter bunny. She seemstraumatized by her recent experience,and is still rather skittish. Adorable littleNylah Nicole deserves much better thanwhat she’s been dealt in her short life sofar. She’ll need a good home where shecan gradually learn to trust people.

RoxanneRoxanne is a large Harlequin/Rex mixfound in someone’s yard in Queens.This girl has an unusual, very strikingcoat – it’s a combination of pale creamand two shades of brown – a lean face,and a sweet little dewlap. She has afunny way of rushing up to you rathersuddenly when she wants attention, andshe absolutely adores being petted.

EvelynEvelyn is a medium-sized orange andwhite Dutch girl. This delicate bunny isprobably on the young side. Her biground eyes seem to take up the entiretyof her diminutive face, and she haspretty, slender legs. The Dutch triangleon her face is cutely off center! Evelyn is a little unsure around new people, but will approach you gingerly andcuriously.

LeonLeon is a medium-sized brown Lionhead-lop mix. He’s not quite a special-needsrabbit, but is kind of borderline. Whenhe arrived at the shelter, he had a ratherpersistent upper respiratory infection. Ithas cleared up, but he will have to bemonitored in case it recurs. Also, hislitter-box skills aren’t very good, so he’llneed a large habitat area with multiplelitter boxes, and his habitat will have tobe cleaned regularly. Finally, his incisorsare not aligned perfectly – but he doesn’t

ADOPT US!

have malocclusion, and he has no troubleeating. Leon will need to be adopted bya financially stable household, as he islikely to need more than the usualamount of vet care. And since he doesn’thave the best litter-box habits, he also

will need a very patient caretaker.Other wise, he’s adorable in all of hislop-Lionhead glory, is very active, andhas a healthy appetite.

ImaniImani is a large gray female lop in hersenior years. She still eats regularly andis becoming more and more active infoster care. She does have some sightloss, and her eyes have a tendency to runa bit. Imani needs a quiet, loving homewhere she can get lots of attention andcare in her remaining years.

OlivetteOlivette is a young black lop found inthe Briarwood section of Queens. Shemay be a post-Easter abandonment case.This adorable little girl is very friendlyand eager for attention. Despite heryouthful energy, she will sit still for along time as you stroke her head andears. If you turn your attention elsewhere,

THUMP JUNE 2015 9

she’ll stick her nose through her cagebars, imploring you to return.

LuisaLuisa is a medium-sized brown andwhite Dutch/Lionhead mix. This girl isvery striking. Her coat is a gorgeous soft brown color, she has eyes the colorof garnets, and she has the unusualcombination of Lionhead whiskers andhalf a Dutch bib. Luisa is very curiousand active, and right now she seemsmost interested in the rabbits around

her, so she might make a good partnerfor another rabbit.

FloraFlora is a medium-to-large bunny with alovely coat in multiple shades of creamand light brown. This girl isn’t particularlyshy, but she does seem rather tense.Flora loves to be petted. She has a verynice disposition, and if you stop giving her the affection she wants, she’llpolitely make it known that she’d like more.

PagePage is a large brownish-black male witha sensitive spirit. This guy may be big,but he’s a fraidy-bun – he’ll stare at youwarily, nodding his head up and downas he tries to “sniff you out.” He doesseem to understand that affection frompeople can be a good thing, but he’s notconfident enough to seek it out. Pagewould do best in a quiet home,preferably with experienced bunnypeople. He would probably also benefitfrom a bunny partner.

SmurfSmurf is a medium-sized Lionhead-mixmale who was found in a building onFirst Avenue. This little guy has a fluffyblack and white coat, but the mostimpressive thing about his looks is hisears: they’re very large for a Lionhead,rising proudly from his little head liketwo perfect isosceles triangles. Smurf isquite skittish. Therefore, he shouldprobably be adopted into a home withno small children or dogs.

PippiPippi is a small, young female with agreat personality and a mild case of headtilt. This little girl is very pretty – hercoat is white with calico-like markings –and is also a real snuggler. Her slighthead tilt – which doesn’t seem to botherher at all – just makes her that muchmore endearing! Although Pippi appearsto be in very good health, she would

probably be best off in a home withexperienced bunny people so hercondition can be carefully monitored.

BabyBaby is a young Californian female witha fantastic personality. This girl was onthe small side when she arrived at theshelter, but has grown noticeably in thepast couple of weeks – she’s medium-sized now, and could well get bigger.Baby has a gorgeous, perfectly creamywhite coat with lovely gray ears and anice, dark gray nose. She has a cute wayof sticking her nose into the air while

ADOPT US!

Looking for Loving Homes (Continued from page 8)

Olivette.

Luisa.

Flora.

(Continued on page 10)

Page.

Pippi.

Smurf.

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Peter.

Paulette.

Sangria.

ADOPT US!

Looking for Loving Homes (Continued from page 9)

you pet her little head. Baby is verysociable and affectionate.

SleepySleepy is a small, young female Rex whowas found on the street in Queens. Thispoor girl arrived at the shelter in a clearstate of fear – you could feel the tensionin her little body. She has calmed downnow; she loves to be petted, so theattention she’s received from volunteershas helped. Sleepy has a very unusualorange Rex coat that’s soft as velvet. Shewould do best in a calm home with nosmall children or dogs.

RupertRupert is a large English Spot mix with

a big, bold personality. This guy hasathleticism, energy and confidence inspades, and he’s 100% extrovert – he’llbound right up to you for nose kisses.Rupert is very eager for exercise – he’llactually crawl all over you in an attemptto get out of his cage – so he’ll need a lot of space for play and exploration. He has a mostly white coat withappropriately dramatic black markings.

PeterPeter is a small, strawberry blondloverboy of a bunny. This adorablecreature is just desperate for love, andwhen you pet him he arranges himselfinto a nice, comfy ball as if to maximizehis enjoyment. He loves affection somuch that he has trouble letting go – ifyou leave, he’ll stick his little nosethrough the cage bars, begging you tocome back. It’ll be hard for you to letgo, too – you’ll want to immediatelyreturn to those cute round cheeks!

SangriaSangria is a medium-sized brown andwhite Dutch male who was abandonedin the lobby of the shelter. This guy issuper outgoing and seemingly starvedfor companionship – he’ll do whateverit takes to get your attention. Sangrialoves having his head and ears stroked.And he has a rather large head for aDutch bun, with a nice broad face –plenty of real estate for your hand toenjoy! Sangria was probably neglectedprior to his abandonment, because hearrived rather underweight – but thathasn’t affected his energy level or hisenthusiasm for life.

PaulettePaulette is a cute little bunny with alovely disposition. This girl’s coat is abeautiful color – sort of a pastel/mutedgrayish-brown. She is friendly in asweet, unassuming way, and loves anyaffection you’re willing to provide.Though she’s probably on the youngside, Paulette is fairly mellow and easy

to handle – though she’s sure to showoff her acrobatics once she’s in herforever home!

Baby.

Sleepy.

Rupert.

THUMP JUNE 2015 11

UnfazedBy Robert Kulka

It was about a week before super stormSandy hit the East Coast that Lara camehome with me. I remember the stormthat night and the power going out andthe tree falling into our building with ahorrible snap. I crawled into the penwith Lara and made us a tent from ablanket. She was unfazed. I was terrified.

That was the way it was when seven monthslater I had to make the determination tohave her right front leg amputated. Wetried everything we could to avoid it,but she slowly became less active andless affectionate. So almost exactly twoyears ago it became necessary to removethe leg. She was unfazed. I was terrified.

She made a remarkable and speedyrecovery. To update, Lara is more herselfthan ever. Active, smart and loving. Sheis running and climbing and enjoyingthe run of my place. At about five yearsold now, she has turned into a bit of apuppy dog.

Recently I had pneumonia. I was terrified.Lara was once again unfazed. Sheactually took to visiting me up on thebed, I think sometimes just to makesure I was still alive.

Funny how a bunny can return the favorof being rescued and loved. Seems theyare forever rescuing us thereafter. I wish Icould be as resilient and unfazed as she is.

Photos: Robert Kulka

Lara.

THUMP JUNE 2015 12

Trixie and Scribble.

My Blossoming Bunny DuoBy Elda Pomales

It seems like just the other day when Ibrought home Trixie’s “husbun” Malo,who is now known as Scribble. He wassuch a tiny little thing, with the mostbeautiful dark brown fur coat. At first,Scribble was very timid and didn’t showany interest in anything. But eventuallyafter many dates with his new wife Trixie, hestarted loosening up and Trixie washappy again. Trixie originally had beenadopted to be the wife of my previousrabbit, Cappuccino. After a few monthsinto their marriage, Cappuccino passedaway and left Trixie a widow. Trixie wentfrom having a companion to just havingme; and she became a lap bunny. But Iknew that Trixie wasn’t meant to bealone, and that’s where Scribble came in.Five months later, I brought Trixie in fora speed date. Two male, baby lionheadswere brought in by mistake. At the endof meeting all of her candidates, it wassuggested that we try one of the lionheads,even though they weren’t really up foradoption yet. One of those lionheadswas Scribble, and she loved him. Shewas more than double his size and I hadmy concerns about bringing him home.

In the first two weeks of having Scribble,our relationship was touch and go.Scribble didn’t want to interact with meand he was mildly interested in Trixie.Trixie, on the other hand, was extremelycurious. I set their cages next to oneanother so that they could begin thebonding process and get used to seeingone another. Every day I would havethem eat together. Things started offvery sweetly between the two. Theywould constantly give each other kisses,but once Scribble showed interest inwanting to run around the house, (whichwas deemed Queen Trixie’s territory)Trixie’s attitude changed. Trixie wouldchase Scribble around the house and niphim. I would constantly have to separatethem, but once they were separated,they would sit at the corners of theircages so that they were closest to eachother. I was baffled at how much theywanted to be next to each other whenthey were separated—yet they couldn’t

be allowed to get near each other whenthey were put together. We repeated thisprocess for a month until finally Trixieaccepted Scribble in her space. The play-time sessions became easier but thepower struggle for dominance was stillunresolved. Trixie would steal Scribble’sfood, block him from the water bowl, andliterally push him out of the way withher head. At times, I couldn’t believehow much personality these two had. Asmuch as Trixie would bully Scribblearound, he would not let up. Scribblebecame very vocal with his stomps andto my surprise, Trixie would back off.

Fast forward three months, and the twoof them are bonding and enjoy sharingthe same space. Could they possibly beready to share a cage? This was thequestion that ran through my mind. Istarted the process on a Friday night sothat I could continue it over the weekend.I left Trixie in the cage and stroked herhead while I let Scribble enter the cageon his own. At that moment, I thinkeveryone’s heart stopped for a minute.We all just stood there frozen. I couldtell Trixie was happy and mad at thesame time. She didn’t attack him as Ithought she would, but if Scribbletouched anything in that cage, it waswrestlemania. I spent the entire weekendsettling the power struggle and bySunday night, the two of them could beleft in the same cage for an hour withoutfighting. I kept them separated for a fewweeks and only let them share Trixie’scage at night when I was there to supervise,until I finally felt comfortable withleaving them together all day. The firstday I left them together while I was atwork; I raced home. I found themlaying down together. I was the happiestmom in the world because I hadsuccessfully bonded them.

As Scribble started to get more comfortablein his new home with his new wife, Icouldn’t help but notice how much theywere both growing into their personalities.It was very exciting to see Scribble comeout of his shell, but it was fulfilling tosee Trixie transition into the spunky girlthat she is today. Unlike Trixie, Scribble

was adopted before he was a year old. Idon’t think he remembers life before myhome. I adopted Trixie when she was 2years old, already having gone throughmultiple pregnancies, living in a shelterfor months, being adopted into a new home with a husbun, AND thenbecoming a widow. She’s been through alot in such a short time. I don’t think sheever had the chance to rest and enjoyherself.Today these two are inseparable.Scribble does the best binky dances andloves running on the couch and runningthrough his toy tunnels; Trixie tries tocopy Scribble and does the goofiestbinkies because of her size. She’s not asfond of going through the tunnel asScribble is, but she does enjoy sleepingin it with him. Their personalities havemeshed and they have rubbed off on eachother. Scribble has taught Trixie somewonderful tricks, such as: going underthe sofa and going under the TV stand.Trixie has taught Scribble some otherwonderful tricks, such as: ripping openthe treat bags and running to the kitchenwhen they hear the refrigerator open.

These two babies are such a riot. Justlike people, they will only truly revealthemselves to the people they know andtrust. If you’re lucky enough, you cancatch Scribble doing binky laps across theliving room and if she likes you, Trixiewill jump on the couch with you. Ifthey do these things in your presence, youshould be flattered because they usuallysave their craziness for when I get home.

Photo: Elda Pomales

THUMP JUNE 2015 13

Peter and Laila.

Amanda and Charlotte.

Luke and Laila.

By Amanda Kramvis

An excited call from my sister nine years ago,alerting me to an “incredibly cute rabbit”in a store window, started this journey.

That “incredibly cute rabbit,” alongwith a timid black mini lop, very soonbecame my first children – Laila-Louiseand Morocco Chicken Salad, respectively.

My sister and I left the Upper East SidePetland that weekend with all of therequisite pet-store “rabbit gear” – mostof which I would never use again, butlive and learn. Laila and Morocco weretogether one year until they decided theyhated each other. I’d gotten Laila whenshe was 8 months old and Morocco at 4months and assumed they’d live togetheras siblings. Ignorant Amanda of nineyears ago knew nothing of the difficultiesof rabbit bonding and assumed allrabbits naturally got along.

Around this same time, Morocco decidedshe disliked me as well, so she went tolive with my parents and sister. Luckyfor me, Laila remained Mommy’s pet andwe stayed the best of friends. Morocco,of course, remained dear to my heart aswell, but I had to care for her from adistance until she’d come to live withme again about six years later.

Speed dating for Laila carried me fromMassachusetts to Pennsylvania, and thenback to Massachusetts. A 13-poundrabbit named Piper lived in Pennsylvaniaand I just had to meet him. Laila didn’tshare this sentiment, and following atwo-hour car ride and her quick slap toPiper’s face, we were headed back home.Next was a failure in Connecticut, andthen finally, 19 rabbits later, Laila metPeter. It was bonding at first sight. Lailaand Peter met, they groomed each other,and that was it. The two were bonded bythe time we reached the car. Unfortunately,Peter passed away within two monthsfrom E. cuniculi. His weight had gonefrom a jolly nine pounds to a bony four

pounds in what seemed like a matter ofdays. Peter was a funny rabbit. Friendlyand a great dinner companion; he’dperch on a low stool next to my fatherand beg for table scraps (none given) atmeal time. Peter was the kind of rabbityou’d find in cabinets, your laundryhamper, pretty much anywhere. He hada great time but unfortunately lived avery short life. Laila would follow himaround rather than partake in hismischief, but she was always by his side.

Partner No. 2 was Luke (Little Man)from Connecticut. Those two wereanother match made in hay-ven (get it?).Luke remains the sweetest and mostcuddly rabbit I’ve ever met, and he andLaila were inseparable.

I’d often find them lying across eachother. I had no idea that was even athing. About a year into their relationship,I ended up fostering Charlotte (fka Ethel)for a family friend – or more appropriately,“foster-failing.” Laila and Luke soonbecame Laila, Luke and Charlotte. Ayear later, Luke got ill – E. cuniculi again.He lived one good year, and one badyear. Losing Luke activated somethingin Laila, and a week following the loss,she became symptomatic with the sameissue. After two and a half years onPanacur, she succumbed as well. LosingLaila was the hardest – not to say theothers didn’t and don’t hurt, but Laila wasmy first and had always been my constant.

I had Laila and Charlotte when I metmy now-husband Nick in January 2012.I always joke that the rabbits were invitedto move in before I was. I joke, but it’strue. Charlotte stole Nick’s heart the firsttime he came over and found “the whiterabbit who runs all over the apartment” sointeresting. Laila stuck to her eight feet ofcarpet and was thought the less interestingof the two – a short-lived opinion.

The highlight of Nick’s day became Laila’senthusiastic sunflower-seed feeding

every night (for weight maintenance),and for us both, laundry folding time.Laila would always partake and makefolding laundry really difficult. But reallyfun. Thank you, Laila and Charlotte, fornabbing me a fiancé, and you a father,in just a little over a year. After Lailapassed away in October 2013, we pairedCharlotte with Saxon. Despite theirfriendly introduction at the 87th StreetPetco, bonding was still going sour sevenmonths later – enter sweet local celebrityBrandon. He put them together and said

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

To Our Departed Friends

(Continued on page 14

Photos: A

manda Kramvis

THUMP JUNE 2015 14

Photo: Amanda Kramvis

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Departed Friends (Continued from page 13)

“let’s all be friends.” And they acquiescedbecause who could say no to Brandon?He tied Laila as the most amusing andgreedy(!) rabbit I’d ever met. The onlydifference was he didn’t stick to the carpet,so he would follow you EVERYWHERE.A real dog rabbit. Unfortunately, hedeveloped bloat the following year andduring his promising recovery, passedaway. This had the further effect ofsevering the bond between Charlotteand Saxon.

Since separation, Morocco had beenpartnered with our big New Zealand,Ming Tian, and later Lagomorph. MingTian lived a happy six years and diedsuddenly as many of them do. He wasfriendly and curious, and a very goodfriend to Morocco.

When Morocco passed away last Augusta couple weeks before our wedding, webonded Lag to Charlotte. However, theyhad to separate in March when Charlottedeveloped head tilt and needed her ownprotected space. It progressed fromthere. Nick and I and a collection of vetsfought as hard as we could, but wecouldn’t save her.

She passed away a few weeks ago. Charlottewas relatively low key, but loved headpets and hay more than anything else.She also loved throwing things andnudging with her nose. We spent acountless amount of time enjoying herperformances over the years.

Lag and Saxon are now going through apromising bonding. We also welcome

our two new fosters, Philip (fka Ling),and Leon.

Nick and I are happy to take thisopportunity to honor our rabbits lostover the years. I would also like toacknowledge their loving aunts, andtheir grandmother who never hesitatedto step up when a bunny neededmonitoring and medical treatmentwhile I was in college and often

unavailable for the frequency oftreatments.

I hope everyone is together (as friends)in bunny heaven, reading this articleand taking comfort in the fact that theyare not forgotten.

Peter, Luke, Ming Tian, Brandon, Laila,Morocco and Charlotte – sleep tight.Mommy and Daddy love you.

Saxon, Charlotte and Brandon.

Make a Difference!Rabbit Rescue & Rehab needs dedicated volunteers to help care for our wonderful rabbits while they are waiting to find their forever homes. If you would like to volunteer, email us atnyc.metro.rabbits@gmail.com.

THUMP JUNE 2015 15

Letters From Adopters

Grace

Grace was adopted in early May by theHinckley family, who sent us this nice update.

We took photos as part of an Easter/Grace’s birthday celebration (or theanniversary of her adoption). As for thekissing picture, we used some trickery toget Grace to do it: Scarlett put a treatbetween her lips and Grace came up tosnatch it out (it’s one of her favoritethings to do). We got a picture just atthe right moment.

Grace is doing wonderfully since heradoption. She comes around for pettingand chasing and she will lounge out inthe middle of the room when things arequieter. She is also comfortable enoughto beg for food if we sit on the couchwith a snack.

Thanks!

Glen & Michelle Hinckley

Maddy

Maddy was adopted in October byAmanda Solomon and her family.Amanda sent us this update in early April.

Maddy is doing great! She just cameback from her first road trip with thefamily. We went to visit my grandparentsin Pennsylvania, a three-hour drive, butshe was great!

The only thing she didn’t like was hercarrying case. It was zipped on the top,but of course, Maddy didn’t like thatbecause she likes to see EVERYTHING.As soon as we opened the top of the caseshe poked her little head out and wasfine for the rest of the ride.

Maddy has been more active than everrecently. She has been running aroundthe house and then gets herself so tiredshe passes out for what seems like hours!

Amanda Solomon

Flash

Flash was adopted in late April by IsaacGordon and his wife, Vanicia. He sent usthis update in early May.

Flash has been a great addition to ourfamily and has quickly adapted to beingat home.

He loves to explore the apartment andhops around all the time we are homewith him.

As soon as we open his cage he runsright for us to say hello! We are so happywith this new member of our family.

Isaac Gordon (Continued on page 16)

Photo: Glen Hinckley

Grace and Scarlett.

Photo: Amanda Solom

on

Maddy.

Photo: Isaac Gordon

Flash.

HoratioHoratio, formerly known as Winter, founda great home with Miriam, who sent usthis update in early May.

I adopted “Winter” (now Horatio) amonth ago and he is settling inextremely well!

When I saw him on Petfinder and readabout him being found in a gymnasium,

(Continued on page 17)

I had to go to Petco and to meet him.Although he takes a while to warm upto people, I was already smitten andreturned to visit him again and finally totake him home.

Though he is still shy, he is also veryaffectionate and loves exploring aroundthe living room (with the occasionalbinky) and hopping around on my bed.He keeps me company while I study.

He is particularly fond of racing aroundand jumping on me in the very earlymorning, which is the absolute bestalarm clock ever.

I’m so lucky to have this smart, inquisitive,expressive, sweet, funny bunny in mylife and look forward to our adventurestogether.

Best,Miriam Champer

Benny

Gabrielle Lawson and Steve Wierski adoptedBenny, and Gabrielle sent this update tovolunteer Jane O’Wyatt in late May.

Just wanted to drop you a line to seehow you’re doing. I hope the bunnybusiness is going well!

Letters (Continued from page 15)

THUMP JUNE 2015 16

Celeste

Christopher Cameron adopted Celeste inMay, and he sent this great update laterthat month.

Celeste has become much more activearound the apartment when she’s out.Throughout the first week, when shewas out of her cage for free time, shewould hop back and forth between herhome base and travel carrier, which Ihad placed open on the floor across theroom. Occasionally, and as stealthily aspossible, she would cautiously ventureout of this area, but she never seemedvery comfortable when she did. Also, shewas not very eager to play with her toys,nor did I ever see her run or jump. Themost animated she got was when shewas going after my hand to bite at it!

Yesterday however, she was exploring alot more. She had been lookingcuriously up at the couch for some time,

as if she was wondering what was upthere. Finally she jumped up, and hasbeen running around with energy Ididn’t even know she had. I’m veryhappy to see her playing and enjoyingherself. She does the rabbit dance orbinky, whatever you want to call it, andgenerally seems to be growing verycomfortable with her new surroundings.

I have set up her cage with an indoor/outdoor rug over the plastic crate floor,and a small, slightly rough finished tile.On hot days I will put a frozen waterbottle on the tile as recommended, inorder for her to stay cool.

Chris

Horatio.

Photo: Miriam

Champer

Photo: Christopher C

ameron

Celeste.

Photo: Gabrielle Law

son

Benny.

Letters (Continued from page 16)

THUMP JUNE 2015 17

(Continued on page 18)

Photo: Gabrielle Law

son

Benny with his blankie.

Otto and Cher fka Samantha.

Cupcake and friend. Hummingbird.

Cotton and Ethel.

Benny is doing great. We just love ourBenny-bean. He is very well behaved(except when he refuses to go into hishouse in the a.m. and makes me late forwork...LOL).

He’s such an entertainer! Every eveningaround the same time (I swear!) he putson a show with lots of binkies anddancing. His favorite toys are his blankie,willow sticks and of course, his cardboardtunnel that we purchased for him a fewmonths back. He even allows mani/pedis(Steve holds him and I do the nailtrimming).

We had a rough start in January after webrought him to Dr. Quesenberry anddiscovered he had a terrible ear infection,but we got that cleared up with lots ofmeds in about three weeks. Let’s just sayBenny wasn’t a fan of ours for the firstfew weeks, due to the fact we had togive him meds 2x a day! I think he hasforgiven us for all that by now, though.

Take care and drop me a line when youhave time, and I’ll make sure to sendyou updates and photos of our boy fromtime to time.

Gabby

CELEBRITIES IN THE SPOTLIGHT

THUMP JUNE 2015 18

Mila. Thumpelina.

CELEBRITIES IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Wilbur. Arthur.

Frieda’s baby boys.

Miss Nibbles.

THUMP JUNE 2015 19

CELEBRITIES IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Samson (fka Tupac/King Tut).

Lola.Marshmallow.

Rana.

Dutchie in her hay crown.

Licensed HRS Educators

Manhattan:Becky Campbell, DVMDeborah Levison, DVMSymphony Veterinary Center170 West 96th Street, New York, NY 10025(212) 866-8000Katherine Quesenberry, DVMThe Animal Medical Center510 East 62nd St., New York, NY 10065(212) 838-7053, (212) 329-8622Alexandra Wilson, DVMAnthony Pilny, DVM Cynthia J. Brown, DVMThe Center for Avian and Exotic Medicine568 Columbus Ave., New York, NY 10024(212) 501-8750 Shachar Malka, DVMHumane Society of New York306 East 59th St., New York, NY 10022(212) 752-4842

Westchester County:Gil Stanzione, DVMDakota Veterinary Center

Rabbit-Savvy VeterinariansHere’s our recommended vet list for the NewYork metropolitan area.Please note that manyclinics have multiple veterinarians, and our recommendations are for specific veterinariansin those clinics. If you can’t get an appointment with a recommended vet at one clinic, don’tassume (no matter what you are told by the clinic) that other vets in the same clinic can helpyour rabbit. If you have any questions or would like to discuss any of the vets on this list,please contact Mary Cotter at (914) 337-6146. When you make an appointment with any of these vets, please tell them you were referred by us.

381Dobbs FerryRoad,White Plains,NY 10607(914) 421-0020

Laurie Hess, DVMVeterinary Center for Birds and Exotics709 Bedford Road, Bedford Hills, NY 10507(914) 864-1414

Long Island:Jennifer Saver, DVMLaura George, DVMKristen Miller, DVMCatnip & Carrots Veterinary Hospital2056 Jericho Turnpike, New Hyde Park,NY 11040 • (516) 877-7080

Heidi Hoefer, DVMIsland Exotic Vet Care591 East Jericho Turnpike Huntington Station, NY 11746(631) 424-0300

Jeff Rose, DVMJefferson Animal Hospital606 Patchogue Rd.(Route 112)Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776(631) 473-0415

Adoptable RabbitsThere are lots of adoptable rabbits availablein Manhattan, Long Island and Westchester.

To adopt a rabbit in New York City, contactnyc.metro.rabbits@gmail.com.On LongIsland, contact Nancy Schreiber atnschreibmd@aol.com or at 516-510-3637(www.longislandrabbitrescue.org), and inWestchester contact Mary Cotter atmec@cloud9.net or 914-337-6146(www.rabbitcare.org).

The rabbit volunteers’ email address in NewYork City is nyc.metro.rabbits@gmail.com.

Adoptable NYC Metro rabbits are at Petco’sLexington Avenue (86th-87th) and UnionSquare locations; rabbit volunteers are presentat both stores on Saturday and Sundayafternoons to answer questions. There arefour rabbits living at each of those stores.

In addition, NYC Metro rabbits are at thePetland Discounts store on West 72nd Street.

You can also visit Animal Care & Control ofNYC (AC&C) at 326 East 110th St.,

All donations go directly to caring for our fosterrabbits and are tax-deductible. Please help us helpthem.Mailing address for contributions to RabbitRescue & Rehab: Gabrielle LaManna, 7 CarriageLane,New Fairfield, CT 06812. For contributionsto Long Island Rabbit Rescue Group, please goto www.longislandrabbitrescue.org.

NYC/Westchester: M.C. Basile, Esq., President, Rabbit Rescue& Rehab, BunnyTorts@gmail.comMary Cotter, Founder, Rabbit Rescue &Rehab, Chapter Manager, NYC HouseRabbit Society, mec@cloud9.net, (914) 337-6146, rabbitcare.orgGabrielle LaManna,New Fairfield, CT,gabbysbunnies@yahoo.com, (203)746-7548Mary Harnett, mmharnett@optonline.net,(914) 948-7976Marcie Frishberg,mfrish57bun@yahoo.com, (718) 724-4105Cindy Stutts, bygolyoly@yahoo.com, (646) 319-4766Kerstin AumannMonica Shepherd,DVM

Long Island:Nancy Schreiber, President, Long IslandRabbit Rescue Group,nschreibmd@aol.com, (516) 510-3637,LongIslandRabbitRescue.org Mary Ann Maier, Long Island RabbitRescue Group Volunteer,altitude8@yahoo.com,LongIslandRabbitRescue.orgDonna Sheridan, Long Island Rabbit RescueGroup Volunteer, hpocus217@yahoo.com,LongIslandRabbitRescue.orgJennifer Saver, DVMLaura George, DVM

Newsletter of RRR/NYC HRS56 West Pondfield Road #5CBronxville, NY 10708www.rabbitcare.org

Editor: Susan LilloCreative Director: Jane O’WyattMasthead Logo Designer: Mary Ann Maier

Rabbit Rescue & Rehab is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt corporation in New York State. Ourpurpose is to rescue, rehabilitate and findpermanent homes for abandoned, abused andneglected rabbits, and to educate the public on rabbit care through publications, phoneconsultations, home visits and presentations.This newsletter is published by RRR/NYC HRS,which is solely responsible for its content. Weretain the right to edit all submissions, whichbecome the property of the NYC Chapter andcannot be returned.

between First and Second avenues. Rabbitsfor adoption can be found by going to:http://www.nycacc.org/ and doing anadoption search. Volunteers are there everyweekday evening and on Saturday andSunday afternoons, but it is best to arrangean appointment first.

Bunny speed dates can be arranged byappointment only on weekend afternoonsat Union Square. Please contactnyc.metro.rabbits@gmail.com to makearrangements.

Many of our rabbits are living in fosterhomes and you can meet them as well. Youalso can arrange to foster a rabbit until he or she finds a permanent home. Contactnyc.metro.rabbits@gmail.com

For basic information about rabbits as pets, go to www.rabbitcare.org,www.longislandrabbitrescue.org and theHouse Rabbit Society main site,www.rabbit.org.

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THUMP June 2015