B.U.N.S. NEWS

Volume 5, Issue 3

September 2001

Put on Your Bunny Ears

and Celebrate!

Where To Find B.U.N.S.:

B.U.N.S. Webpage

www.bunssb.org

Rabbit Care

Information

683-0521

Volunteer

Information

Darcy Freegard

968-5077

Basic Bunny Class

Time & Location

683-0521

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 91452

Santa Barbara, CA

93190-1452

Shelter Address

5473 Overpass Rd.

Santa Barbara, CA

Government Access

TV Channel 20

House Rabbit

Society Webpage

www.rabbit.org

Doesn't your bunny deserve a spa treatment? Bring your bunny to Spa Bunnè for nail trimming by B.U.N.S. professionals, a massage by Dawn Koncsol, bunny masseuse, or a light grooming. And won't you be proud, having your bunny looking his or her relaxed best as they rest with the other bunnies in the Lagomorph Lounge.

Once your bunny has been fluffed and puffed at Spa Bunnè, what better time for a family photo. Take this opportunity to have you and your bunny's photos taken by Lynn Adams. Lynn is a Brooks-trained professional photographer, who is wonderful with rabbits. You will treasure the photo for years.

Has your bunny been trying to tell you something? Do you feel that communication has broken down? Connie Adams, an animal communicator, is the answer to your prayers. Connie specializes in health issues. Bring your bunny and your questions to Connie.

Dr. Greg Haskell and St. Francis Pet Clinic have again donated his time for the afternoon. Dr. Haskell will be available to answer your bunny health questions.

The Children's Area is bigger and better this year! Six preschool teachers have been at work planning the event. Children can decorate their own rabbit ears, make a ceramic bowl for the bunny's food or water, have their face painted, decorate bunny cookies, or listen to the story lady! Put a little magic into your child's life with a bunny wand.

Are you tired of looking for rabbit safe toys and supplies in the cat or bird section of the pet store? Try Cats and Rabbits and More or the BunnyLuv booth in the vendor section. These two vendors bring toys and other products just for your bunny. Local craft vendors will also be there with bunny related gifts.

The Silent Auction is a great opportunity to find a bargain and support B.U.N.S. at the

same time. Look for exercise pens, meals, a beautiful bunny rug from Marie Claire, gift certificates to local stores, and various gift items. Do you have unused items for the silent auction? If so contact Ellen Burns at 964-1345.

If you want a snack, enjoy home baked cookies and a soft drink at the Cottontail Café. Would you like to bake for the Café? Contact Suzanne Ilgun at 696-6981.

Bunny Bowling is back! How many pins can your little bowler knock down? Bunny Croquet was the new event of the Bunny 2000 Olympiad. Enjoy the thrill of the competition! If your little buddy is not an athlete, enter the carrot-eating contest. How fast can your bunny down a carrot? There is something for every bunny and prizes to boot!!

Come to Bunny Festival! Meet other rabbit owned people. Swap bunny stories with people who really care about their bunnies. Show your support for B.U.N.S.! Your support saves lives!

News Briefs

Shelter News

Old news is new news at the shelter ­ bunnies! Yes, the influx has not stopped. We have bunnies, bunnies everywhere. Any type, size, and color you can imagine. If your bunny seems to be moping about or restless, maybe it is time for a friend. Come and look at our vast selection. There will also be shelter bunnies available for adoption at Bunny Festival.

We also have a few fine-feathered friends at the shelter. Three beautiful roosters are lodged in the aviary and the chicken coop. We also just got in seven new hens. They seem to be very nice and are looking for a good home!

A lovely bird bath was added to the premises, as well as a new shade structure for the exercise pens to keep all are bunnies cool during play time.

Website Updates

We have removed the most viewed bunny feature and are now adding a new "Featured Bunny of the Month." This area is to promote and give more information on a particular bunny at the shelter available for adoption. We are constantly looking for ways to enliven our website. If you have any ideas while viewing the site for features you would like to see, or changes you would suggest, we are looking for ways to improve. Just drop a line to our web master.

Volunteer Corner

We are still looking for volunteers for the shelter. The days and times of the week that we are in most need are as follows: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings, and Monday afternoon.

We could also use volunteers for newsletter folding, and outreach programs such as farmer's markets, or other community events. Please contact Darcy Freegard our volunteer coordinator at 968-5077.

Fiesta!

Viva la Fiesta! BUNS participated in our first Fiesta event, holding a fruit smoothie booth at the El Mercado in MacKinsey Park. We are pleased to announce we made a net profit of $550.00. This event would not have been possible without our very own Andrea Bratt, and her sister Heidi Bratt. Andrea and Heidi came up with all the recipes, researched the ingredients, purchased and stored the items, made our sign, and helped setup and break down every day. I cannot thank either of them enough.

Also, we could not have had a booth (literally) without Kevin Freegard. After working a long week, Kevin was out on the weekend working hard designing and building the booth. Darcy and Kevin were back again at 5:30 in the morning on the Sunday after the event to break the booth down and haul it to storage. That is true commitment; thank you both again.

I would also like to put a special thank you to Anderson Systems and Jerry Anderson for contributing a plumber to hook up our sink and water heater. A special thanks to Santa Barbara Ice Company for their help and discounts with our dry ice purchases. That said, there is no way I could operate the booth without all our wonderful volunteers. A special kudos to the following people: Darcy Freegard, Kristen

Gehrung, Christine, Greg and Karin Heiman, Heather Starr, Anne Lawler, Darla Cannon, Koral Ilgun, Lesley and Ana Fagan, Patty Ball, Pat Lindsay, Jackie Zaida, Elizabeth Mazzetti, Anna Richardson, Phil Seymour, Jean Silva, Dane Gonzales, Adrienne Chaconas, Karen Haskel and crew, Cheryl Yoder, Michelle Pearn, Lynn Klinkenberg, Zak and Teresa Zuzalek, Linda Carppenien, Ellen Burns, Pam Torrez, and Pam and George Hall. Thank you all from the bottom of BUNS's heart.

Outreach Programs

BUNS is looking into ways to help increase cash flow. One possibility was to participate in more community events like Fiesta, Summer Solstice, July 4^th festivities, or maybe events in Oak Park during the summer. If you have any experience with this sort of thing, or fund-raising in general, please call Darcy Freegard our lovely volunteer coordinator and let her know you are interested. She will hook you up with the right person.

BUNS Board of Directors

BUNS has elected new board members at the last annual meeting. Our new officers and board members are:

President: Ellen Burns

Vice President: Andrea Bratt 

Treasurer: Karin Heimen

Secretary: Pat Lindsey

Board Members:

Jean Silva

Phil Seymour

Darcy Freegard

Heather Starr

Jackie Zaida

Congratulations to all.

Travel Tips from the Rabbit Owned

By Car

Rabbits can travel well by car and can be charming travel companions. You must be careful that they do not get over heated or dehydrated. If the weather is warm, be sure that the air conditioning reaches your rabbit. Babe, my rabbit, loved to sit on my lap with his nose pointed into the air conditioning vent. Never leave your rabbit alone in a closed car during the day or on hot nights.

Most rabbits will not eat or drink while the car is in motion. Even so, I always have a carrot, or some other wilt-proof veggie as a source of food and water. I also carry a crock and bottle of water for rest stops and one or more frozen ice bottles with lids. On a long trip, a wide mouth bottle can be filled with ice cubes from ice dispensers found at most hotel and fast food restaurants.

A folding exercise pen can be used at rest stops to give the rabbit the opportunity to stretch, take a drink and have a bite to eat. Always be mindful of dogs when your rabbit is out of the car. We always had our midday meal at a fast food restaurant that had a lawn. We would take our food out to the lawn, give Babe his carrot and have a family picnic. After the sun went down, we would set Babe up with his dinner in the car while we ate inside. Local markets are a great place to buy parsley and cilantro for your bunny; restaurant salad bars are also a source for the rabbit's dinner.

By Air

Four airlines accept rabbits in the passenger cabin: Delta, United, America West and Alaska. The rabbit must be accompanied and fit comfort

ably and safely in an approved carrier that fits under a passenger seat. The rabbit must remain in the carrier on board the airplane, in the terminal and gate facilities. All of the airlines limit the number of pets allowed on any single flight to one or two, so you must make reservations in advance. All the airlines charge extra to carry a pet. Specifications for carrier size varies from airline to airline so be sure to ask.

Many airlines accept rabbits as air cargo. This is not recommended, as cargo areas are neither temperature controlled or pressurized. The extremes of heat and cold to which your rabbit may be subjected are not safe and can be deadly. Only US Airways planes have pressurized, temperature controlled cargo bins to make travel safer. If you choose to use them, please verify that your pet's plane will be equipped with such a bin. Be prompt in retrieving your rabbit from the cargo area, as the noise and heat will be very dangerous.

Accommodations

A national listing of over 25,000 places that accept pets can be found on: www.petswelcome.com.

Motel Six welcomes one small pet per room unless prohibited by state law or local ordinance.

A folding exercise pen can also be a handy vacation home. Lay a heavy plastic garbage bag on the floor, cover the bag with fleece or straw carpet squares, place the pen on top, add a litter box, crocks and toys and your rabbit can stretch out without supervision.

Happy Trails!

Planning a trip?

Will you take your bunny with you or leave him at home?

Here are some tips:

Generally rabbits are not good travelers. Leaving your bunny at home or with a caretaker while you are on vacation may be an option. B.U.N.S. recommends two caretakers: Dorothy Diehl (805-684-6022), and Andrea Bratt (805-684-2269). Dorothy and Andrea take rabbits into their homes. Santa Barbara Pet Sitters will come to your home. We have no experience with them. However, one of their sitters is said to have had a rabbit in the past.

Be certain to provide your caretaker with written instructions for care and the likes and dislikes of your bunny. If you have more than one bunny put their names on their cages. If someone is caring for rabbits in your home, be sure they visit at least once, meet the bunny and go through the care routine with you. Post your telephone and your vets phone in a prominent location known to your sitter. Have them test the door key before they leave. Call your vet and leave a credit card number against which unexpected vet bills can be charged.

Lonely rabbits can get into trouble or act out, so review your bunny proofing, remove all possible hazards and any items that should not be bunny toys. When you return, your rabbit may ignore you or behave aggressively. Don't worry, he remembers you. He also remembers that you've been gone and wants to show you that your absence upset him. Just be patient, offer lots of pets and a few treats. It won't take much to win him back.

International Rabbit Day®

Give your bunny an extra carrot - 29 September is International Rabbit Day®! The Rabbit Charity will be organising and coordinating events to educate bunny caregivers all over the world. This year the theme is "One of the family" and there are lots of fun ways in which you can take part. They are also running the Carrot Top Awards to find the world's top bunnies. To enter your rabbit please send his photo and reasons why he deserves an award to The Rabbit Charity, PO Box 23698, London N8 0WS enclosing an SAE if you would like your photos returned. Or e-mail your entry and pictures (scanned at 72dpi and saved as JPEG) to Info@bunny.org.uk. The winners will receive the fantastic Carrot Top Award and a parcel of Bunny Buys goodies. There is also a children's category and consolation prizes for runners-up.

Family members are not always human

Pet rabbits are becoming increasingly popular as part of the family. Last year, they were the third most common pet after cats and dogs. Where rabbits were once thought of as happy to live in a hutch, research by various animal welfare agencies has shown that like dogs and cats, rabbits too need mental stimulation and psychological well being. Carers of pet rabbits are getting the message and integrating bunnies into the family. The Rabbit Charity recently conducted a survey and found that, on average, rabbit caregivers spend £20 on toys and other non-food bits and pieces to entertain their pet. This is an increase of over 200% on ten years ago when the only thing a rabbit got was carrots.

"Rabbits respond to toys, companionship, grooming and attention they get from a person, just like a dog or cat, but unfortunately, there are still those people who feel that all a rabbit needs is a hutch" says Carolina James, Director of The Rabbit Charity.

This year The Rabbit Charity is trying to raise the profile of rabbits by encouraging more caregivers to "spend quality time" with their pets and see them for what they are - intelligent, affectionate, entertaining and sensitive creatures. A leaflet entitled "One of the Family" has been published to celebrate Rabbit Day®and is reproduced for you convenience.Ed.

Donations as of

14 August 2001:

Carrot Circle $1-50

Nancy Britton

Sally Warner-Arnett

Stephanie Adlawan

Therese Blackwell

Kristin Brodie

Milbrey Conroy

Joan Cotich

Kathy Christensen

Paul and Judy Lyn Fredlin

Welmoer Glover

Kathy Grandfield

JoAnn Hammond

Angela Adams-Keefer

Aileen Lewis

Monique McCullum

Juliana Kay Miller

Susan Park

Kevyn Lynne Quigley

Jan P. Romofsky

Karen Romofsky

Gust P. Rouhas

Kim Scharf

Rebecca Shipe

Tomi Spaw

Denise Swearingen

Bunny Angel $51-100

Ronald Ranft

Bunny Guardian $101-250

Carol J. Loessin

Adrienne Chaconas

Dunsworth, Inc. (Lola's in LA)

Robert and Christine Emmons

Mark Moseley

Golden Carrot Circle $251 and up

Gloria Morgan

Jean S. Steinhardt

Thank You!

BUNS appreciates your

thoughtfulness and generosity.

will be times when you have to pick up your rabbit such as visits to the vet so it's a good idea to practice lifting your bunny daily. The right way is to approach them slowly, give them a gentle stroke to relax them, place one hand under their forelegs and the other hand under their bottom for support. Hold them close to your body to stop them kicking out and make them feel secure. Reward them with a treat afterwards. It's also a good idea to teach them that a pet carrier is a safe place and not just associated with the vet. You can do this by leaving the carrier out so they are free to go in as they please or use the carrier to take them backwards and forwards to their housing.

Busy Bunnies

Rabbits can be very energetic and love to run and play so it is essential to provide them with toys and a large, interesting living area. Anything they can safely shred or toss or that makes a noise is usually popular such as the Yellow Pages, pine cones, apple and willow twigs, untreated willow baskets, seagrass mats, balls, rattles, cardboard tubes and some cat and parrot toys (as long as they have no small parts). With a bit of imagination you can soon come up with some great ideas. I have found cardboard boxes with cut-out doors to chew, hide and jump in and toilet roll tubes, folded at the ends with treats hidden inside, to be big favourites. Watching bunnies at play can be very entertaining!

A friendship with your rabbit has to be earned, but with a little time and effort, your bunny too can become a wonderful and much loved family member.

For more information on looking after rabbits please visit our website at www.bunny.org.uk or send an SAE to The Rabbit Charity, PO Box 23698, London N8 0WS, info@bunny.org.uk.

This leaflet is dedicated to Blossom. Written by Lisa Hodgson.

__________________________________________________________________

THE RABBIT CHARITY

PO Box 23698

London N8 0WS

Bunny Hopline 020 8888 0001

Fax 020 8888 8868

<http://www.bunny.org.uk>www.bunny.org.uk

<mailto:Info@bunny.org.uk>Info@bunny.org.uk

The international charity for the welfare of bunnies

*Organisers of International Rabbit Day - 29 September 2001*

A bunny's place is in the home.

One of the Family

I didn't realise when I brought home my first rabbit Blossom just how wonderful it would be. In return for a little of my time, love and attention, she has given me so much more. She's just like "one of the family." Being affectionate, intelligent, and totally adorable, rabbits too, like cats and dogs can make a delightful addition to your household. For many years rabbits have been kept confined to a hutch at the bottom of the garden. Thankfully caregivers are now learning that rabbits need and deserve a lot more. Whether your bunny lives indoors or outdoors, there are many ways in which you can form a long and rewarding friendship with your pet. I hope this leaflet will help you do just that.

Making your home their home

Rabbits, like us, can soon become bored and depressed so it is important to provide them with the right environment. Outdoor rabbits are usually the most neglected due mainly to the weather. You must be prepared to spend as much time as you can with you rabbit come rain or shine! Keeping you rabbit indoors can be a lot easier. They can be litter-trained just like a cat and given free run of the whole house or just one or two rooms. It is important to bunnyproof your home to protect your rabbit from injury. Move cables and poisonous plants out of reach and don't leave your favourite clothes or books lying around as rabbits will chew almost anything! If you can't keep your rabbits indoors, for their own safety and wellbeing they must be housed in a shed, garage or outhouse at night. During the day they should have access to a large secure run in the garden with supervision. A good idea is to bring your rabbit indoors every day for a play and a cuddle.

Befriending your bunny

Rabbits respond well to mental stimulation, company and affection they get from a person. Getting to know your rabbit, her likes and dislikes is a good place to start. Stroking and grooming is enjoyable for both rabbit and caregiver and is the best way to form a bond. Most rabbits love to be stroked on their forehead, cheeks and behind their ears, but don't like you touching their chin, feet and tail. A favourite of my rabbit Holly is having her back gently scratched and she will show her appreciation by licking my hand.

How you handle your rabbit is very important. Wrong or rough handling can cause serious injury and possibly make your rabbit afraid of you. Most rabbits don't like to be held and prefer to sit next to you to be petted. However there

Bunny of the Quarter...

Jane

Jane is a beautiful brown Agouti, spayed female, and one of the last remaining Gang of 19 that were brought to the shelter last December. She is shy at first, but warms up immediately on nose rubs and cuddles. Jane has said that although she loves the care at the shelter, she is really ready for a home of her own. She is sure she would not have a problem with a cat. Jane is a very versatile and loving girl waiting for a good home. Please stop by and say hello.

Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter

PO Box 91452

Santa Barbara, CA 93190

Address Service Requested

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US POSTAGE PAID

SANTA BARBARA CA

PERMIT NO 464

Exciting Topics in This Issue:

Bunny of the Quarter

International Rabbit Day

Bunny Festival

Have Rabbit, Will Travel

Send mail to BUNS with questions about rabbits or adoption.
Copyright © 2000-2003; Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter
Last updated: September 21, 2002

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