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Sixteen Years in the Trenches at BUNS
This year is the 25th anniversary of BUNS! We're celebrating by sharing stories from our volunteers about their experiences with BUNS. This month's story comes from Shellye Kingsbury:
My life as a BUNS volunteer began 16 years ago, soon after I walked through the shelter’s front gate into the bunny wonderland that is BUNS. A year earlier I had been blindsided by the power of lagomorph cuteness and personality when we brought my daughter’s classroom bunny home for the weekend. Later, when this bun hit adolescence in the classroom and began humping, pee marking, escaping, and nipping, we became the ecstatic, if clueless, new owners of Hopper Bun Bun Oreo—named by the 3rd graders. (All those special behaviors soon evaporated after he was neutered and given a home and family of his own.) Since then we have adopted 3 much-loved BUNS bunnies, including our current two, Little Willy and Evelyn.
On one of my first days volunteering at BUNS, the very experienced and capable volunteer who was training me proudly displayed the scars on her hands and arms from all the biting rabbits she had handled. This did not bolster my confidence(!) but did fill me with admiration for her courage. I soon learned that the majority of rabbits are gentle and affectionate, though I did eventually get to know several bitey buns. From them I learned the most about bunny body language and how best to approach, pick up and carry a rabbit — especially those who might nip or “explode” out of my arms if I wasn’t fully attentive.
Through my years working at BUNS I have met some wonderful, unforgettable rabbits, guinea pigs, roosters, and people! The core BUNS volunteers and Board Members have been “in the trenches” together through exhausting challenges, times of heartbreak and discouragement, and times of joy, seeming miracles, and pure delight in the well-being of our orphaned fur-babies. The happiness and appreciation of our adopters is another great joy for us volunteers.
I often wonder what it is about rabbits that has captured my heart and imagination so profoundly—beyond reasonableness! They are not the only cute, furry critter around, can be very hard to read, and are quite fragile with delicate digestive systems. They can be temperamental, demanding and hold a grudge. Nor are they low-maintenance pets, needing lots of attention, interaction and close supervision for signs of possible health problems. But obsessed with rabbits I am, so BUNS is my home away from home.
In closing, my work with BUNS has enriched my life beyond measure and it is my deepest wish that BUNS continues to mature as an organization and grace our community with its good work long into the future.
Stay tuned next month for more about the last twenty five years at BUNS! Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter so you don't miss the May edition of The Carrot Tribune!
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