Lagomorph Love

This Sunday, September 23, Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter (BUNS) will be holding its annual Bunny Festival in Santa Barbara. This fun-packed event will be held from noon-4 p.m. at the Courthouse Sunken Gardens on 1100 Anacapa Street. You can visit adoptable rabbits, talk to the veterinarian, rest in the lagomorph lounge, shop at the silent auction and vendor booths, and even have the animal communicator talk to your bunny. Lots of kids come to watch bunny and guinea pig games and play in the children’s area. For more information, and to watch videos from last year’s festival, visit www.bunssb.org/events.html

If you need motivation to adopt a rabbit, Mary Lempert, founder and manager of The Rabbit Advocate, offers 10 reasons rescued rabbits make great pets:

• Rabbits are the perfect pets for those who may not have time for daily walks but still seek the social quality of a dog-like companion. And, like cats, rabbits can be litter-box trained very easily. Many people who are allergic to dogs and cats are not allergic to rabbits.

• Rabbits are uniquely talented comedians. They “binky” — or hop and kick — when they’re happy. Some rabbits also flop over and play dead like a dog would!

• Rabbit schedules match up with people schedules. Our furry friends are most active at dawn and dusk, which correspond well with the times most of us are starting our day or getting home from work and ready for some couch snuggling or binky watching.

• Rabbits help you get healthy. As herbivores, rabbits mesh well with vegetarian and vegan lifestyles. Generally speaking, though, having a pet that encourages you to stock your fridge with fruits and vegetables is good for everybody — vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

• Rabbits make great pets for city dwellers. They happily stay in large cages or puppy pens during the day when you’re gone and love to come out to romp around in rabbit-proofed rooms when you’re home.

• Rabbits have long life spans compared to other small animals. They can live 10-12 years if provided with a proper diet and care.

• Rabbits are heroic. In the wild, rabbits communicate with each other about perceived dangers by thumping their back legs; astute house bunnies will provide you with a similar security system.

• Rabbits are great listeners (just look at those ears!). They also make excellent snugglers with their extra-soft fur and loving nature.

• Rabbits need homes, too. Perhaps one of the best reasons to adopt a bunny is that there are so many waiting for forever homes. In fact, after dogs and cats, rabbits are the third most abundant adoptable pet, with more than 5,500 listed for adoption on www.petfinder.com

If you’re looking to add a bunny to your family, BUNS is a wonderful rescue organization in Santa Barbara. It’s an all-volunteer group that has close to 30 volunteers who run the organization. BUNS is always in need of volunteers at the shelter, and there are a lot of different ways you can make a difference. You can volunteer at the shelter taking care of the stray and abandoned bunnies that are waiting for a home. BUNS also needs volunteers to help shuttle bunnies to and from the veterinarian for spay and neuter. BUNS asks that children under the age of 18 come accompanied by a responsible adult.

BUNS is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4:45 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. It’s located at 5473 Overpass Road. You can call the County Shelter at (805) 681-5285 or call BUNS at (805) 683-0521. For more information, visit www.bunssb.org.

If you think you’re ready to share your life with a bunny, before you shop, 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.

If you think a bunny is right for your family, hop on down to BUNS today! And don’t forget to visit the annual Bunny Festival, this Sunday, September 23, noon-4 p.m. at the Courthouse Sunken Gardens on 1100 Anacapa Street.

Announcements

Kitty Palooza

Saturday, September 22, Kitty Palooza comes to Santa Barbara. Kitty Palooza is a rockin’ concert to benefit the ASAP cat shelter. This fun concert is located at the Rock Shop on 1109 De la Vina and will be held 4-9 p.m. There’s a $15 cover charge, and beer, wine, and food will be available. To check out pictures from last year’s event, visit stephenotero.com

K-9 PALS Dog Festival and Great Ball Drop

K-9 PALS holds its fourth annual Dog Festival and Great Ball Drop at Chase Palm Park on Saturday, September 29, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. This is a great family and dog friendly event that benefits the homeless and abandoned dogs of Santa Barbara County. You’ll want to bring the kids — and your dogs — and enjoy the fun. All proceeds will go to support the K-9 PALS Medical Fund for the homeless and abandoned dogs of Santa Barbara County.

K-9 PALS is the all-volunteer nonprofit organization that provides medical care, support, food, medications, dog behavior training, foster homes, adoption promotions, and advocacy for the dogs of Santa Barbara County Shelters, with the goal for every adoptable dog to have a chance for a loving home.

This year’s festival includes dog agility exhibitions, dog behavior demonstrations, K9 police dogs, lots of wonderful dogs for adoption from local rescue groups and shelters, exhibits by area businesses and organizations with information about people, pet, and eco-friendly products and services, live music, and great food.

Highlighting the day of festivities is the Great Ball Drop. At approximately 2 p.m., the Santa Barbara Fire Department will hoist 1,000 tennis balls up into the air and drop them over the specially designed prize board. This year’s Great Ball Drop Grand Prize is worth more than $750; 30 other prizes are all worth more than $150, and all are donated from local businesses. Raffle tickets will be available for purchase prior to the event — -1 ticket for $10 or 10 tickets for $90. Contact info@k-9pals.org for more information.

For more information about the 4th Annual K-9 PALS Dog Festival and Great Ball Drop, and about K-9 PALS, contact info@k-9pals.org or (805) 570-0415.

Adoptable Pet of the Week

Bob is a big, goofy guy who loves to be around people. He’s a 3-year-old, neutered, male Labrador Retriever. He loves to play fetch and would make a great beach dog. He would do best in a home with older, considerate children. Bob truly is a great dog that is anxiously awaiting his forever home.

For more information, visit the Santa Barbara Humane Society at 5399 Overpass Road, or call (805) 964-4777 for more information. Shelter hours are Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.. You can also visit www.sbhumanesociety.org.