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Dennis and Denim, A Shelter Love Story?
Denim and her friend Cotton were left at the Animal Rescue Team, a wild life rescue, in the Santa Ynez Valley. They lived in a large grassy meadow like two wild bunnies. But they were not wild. And, they did not find a home. So, they were transferred to BUNS in May 2017. The change from life in the meadow, to life at the shelter was hard. Denim and Cotton started to fight and moved to separate cages. When Cotton was adopted Denim was all alone. Denim needed something to lift her spirits. She began to range free throughout the shelter during the day, returning to her cage at night. Denim loved her free time. She visited with the people who came to the shelter, accepting pets and food. She was happy, but she still had no home.
Dennis Hopper was the shelter’s bad boy. Like so many bad boys Dennis was irresistible. He came to the shelter in June 2018. He loved pets and wanted attention. He was adopted quickly and returned three weeks later. “Dennis bites.” they said. “We’re afraid to go into the yard when he’s out.” What could be the problem? Everyone had ideas - he was bored, he needed more exercise. Comparing his weights, we found that he had lost 25% of his body mass. Dennis was hungry! Those bites were from a bunny who needed food! So we doubled his food. But just in case he got food toys, clicker training and was given time to range free at the shelter.
Now, there is only so much time for a bunny to range free around the shelter. Each bunny that had the chance to run free meant there was less time for the others. So Denim got a little less time. Denim was happy to get out of her cage, but it was had to see her at the door to her play yard as Dennis ran free.
One day, we decided to let both Dennis and Denim free range around the shelter together. It was a little exciting. Bunnies who don’t like each other can have terrible fights. Denim had already broken up with Cotton. Dennis, well Dennis, had the reputation as a biter. But, they did well together. At first Dennis was a little more interested in Denim than she liked. But they did not fight. It took a couple of months but we began to notice that they were napping together. One day Denim began to groom Dennis. Were they a couple? Did they want to live together?
Right after that someone applied to adopt Dennis. What to do!! Then another person applied to adopt Denim! Neither person was able to adopt both rabbits. If the bunnies became a pair, it would be just that much harder to adopt them. But we could not bare to separate them. See Denim groom Dennis here: https://www.facebook.com/bunssb/videos/338047327148867/ What would you do? Would you adopt them?
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