From File

Article Tools

Print friendly
E-mail story
Tip Us Off
iPod friendly
Comments

Bookmark This

del.icio.us.
Digg!
furl
google
newsvine
reddit
technorati
Facebook
Yahoo!

This Sunday, many well-intentioned parents will purchase live baby bunnies for their children as Easter gifts. Unfortunately, many of these rabbits will wind up at shelters once they grow big and the novelty wears off. There are animal shelters across the nation that refuse to adopt out rabbits at Easter time. That is not the case with Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter (B.U.N.S.). They encourage adoptions year round, even at Easter time; as long as those adoptions are to responsible owners.

B.U.N.S. was founded in 1992 when a woman named Dorothy Diehl came to Santa Barbara looking to adopt an Angora rabbit. Instead, Diehl found adoptable rabbits at a shelter in conditions that weren’t up to par. She ended up volunteering to improve those conditions and recruited seven volunteers, one for each day of the week. Now there are close to 30 volunteers who run the organization. B.U.N.S. also gets assistance from Girl Scout Troops and the mothers and daughters of the National Charities League.

B.U.N.S. has a major fundraiser each year, called the Bunny Festival, which helps support their cause. This year’s festival will be Sunday, September 27, noon-4 p.m. at the Sunken Gardens, 1100 Anacapa Street. The Bunny Festival includes a silent auction, a bake sale, children’s activities, vendors, rabbit Olympics, an animal communicator, veterinarians, and rabbit photos.

Last year, B.U.N.S. adopted out 156 rabbits and 21 guinea pigs. They currently have more than 40 rabbits and five guinea pigs at their shelter. Unfortunately, many of these rabbits were turned in because owners were affected by the economic downturn and could no longer afford their pet.

It should be noted that rabbits aren’t for everyone. They’re not a “starter pet” for children as most people think. A child will not be able to be the sole caretaker of the bunny; adult supervision and assistance is required. Your house will require bunny-proofing and some rabbits will need to be litter-box trained if they aren’t already. Rabbits are susceptible to hairballs, which they can’t cough up (like cats do), so they must be brushed frequently. Every day they require monitoring and room to run and jump. In addition to rabbit pellets, fresh vegetables, grass, and hay are also needed on a daily basis. Make sure you are ready for a lifetime commitment when you adopt a rabbit. B.U.N.S. estimates that rabbits can live up to 13 years.

If you think you’re ready to share your life with a bunny, please adopt. Pet stores often get their bunnies from “bunny mills” where rabbits are continuously bred and babies are weaned at a very early age. With all the homeless rabbits waiting for permanent homes, it doesn’t make sense to breed them. Kudos to Petco for discontinuing their sale of rabbits. Petco now only adopts out rabbits from shelters.

B.U.N.S. is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4:45 p.m., and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. They’re located at 5473 Overpass Road in Santa Barbara. For more information, check out their Web site at bunssb.org. They also offer training classes for rabbits, and trim rabbit and guinea pig nails for $5.

If you love rabbits, but can’t take one home with you, B.U.N.S. is always in need of weekday volunteers at the shelter and Sunday volunteers at Petco. You must be at least 18 to volunteer, though children are allowed if accompanied by an adult.

B.U.N.S. is also in need of the following:

• Two weatherproof metal display boxes to post adoption information and photos.

• Commercial hutches or cages that are in good condition.

• Wheatgrass for the bunnies.

• Wood chips for the bunny play yards.

• Donations for spaying, neutering, and other medical expenses.

If you’d like to make a monetary donation to B.U.N.S., please send to:

Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter, P.O. Box 91452, Santa Barbara, CA 93190

Artemus

Adoptable Pet of the Week

Artemus is a 10-year-old male neutered Beagle mix, though he does not look like a Beagle and certainly does not look or act 10 years old. His eyes are bright and clear and he is always ready to play, especially if you have a tennis ball. His prior guardian reports that he knows basic obedience and has very good manners. Artemus likes kids and at 35 pounds he could be just the right size for your family.

Santa Barbara Humane Society, 5399 Overpass Rd., Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

For more information, call 964-4777, or visit sbhumanesociety.org.

Related Links

• More Pet Chat columns

Comments

Discussion Guidelines

Currently:
Clear Sky
Temperature:
60.1°
Wind:
6 W