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May 18, 2008
Pet Promise Rescue Run
Memorial Day weekend starts this Saturday, which means it's time for the annual Pet Promise Rescue Run!
From the site: "The PetPromise RESCUE RUN & WALK is a 5K run/walk and festival held annually on Memorial Day Weekend promoting awareness of the pet overpopulation problem and supporting efforts to change the future for all homeless pets through education, rescue, sterilization, and adoption."
CHRS will have a table staffed by Laine Kathary and Julie Schram. Be sure to stop by and say hello!
Posted by Sue at 7:00 AM
Garage Sale Donation
Carrie Hall, a member and adopter from Oxford, Ohio, held a garage sale and textbook drive. The result? A donation to CHRS of $635.87!
Mega kudos and a big thank you to Carrie!!!
Posted by Sue at 6:56 AM
May 15, 2008
What Does Forever Mean?
I got a typical email from Karalee today. Typical in that it consisted of the usual combination of good and bad news. The good: the remaining three babies were successfully spayed yesterday. A tremendous relief for us all. The bad: a second barn bunny is coming back.
To refresh your memory, back in late 2005/early 2006, 17 rabbits were rescued from a barn in Cardington. No surprise, Karalee was instrumental in getting them placed.
Maggie was returned a few weeks ago. I met her last Saturday and my first reaction was a gasp. She is a gorgeous black and white mini-lop, which immediately made me think of my beloved Oreo, who left this world several years ago. Not only is she gorgeous but she is very sweet and was residing quite happily in the Curry home while foster mom Eileen is out of town.
I have yet to meet Teddy but he has been described as very sweet and highly adoptable.
The timing on this latest bad news is not great. I have to admit to being in a bit of a funk when it comes to people and animals. I did not watch the Kentucky Derby but still managed to experience a profound sadness over Eight Belles's demise. Two compound fractures is extraordinary even by horse racing standards. A week earlier, two other horses were euthanized after falling during the cross-country phase of the Rolex Three-Day Event. And polar bears have now been classified as endangered.
So, with all this bad news, I was prepared for a full-blown rant on the topic of whether people are worthy of being in the same world as rabbits, horses, and polar bears.
As I was washing greens tonight, I got to thinking about our chapter. It's hard to ignore the fact that CHRS is nothing more than a group of people united in our love for long-eared hoppers. Our volunteers manage to make room in their overly busy lives for activities that unquestionably improve the lives of Central Ohio rabbits. We spend endless hours caring for the lagomorph members of our families, socializing our fosters, and trying to regain the trust of rabbits who have been dumped at Capital Area Humane Society.
We rescue, we educate. Most of all, we are always there to greet returnees with open homes and open hearts. Like Maggie, we remain optimistic that a forever home is out there for every rabbit that passes through our lives.
So what does "forever" mean? For me, it means that all of our chapter rabbits have a safety net. Should that forever home be short-lived, these rabbits will always have a safe sanctuary with a chapter volunteer. Maggie is right to be confident that she will always have a home in our chapter, until her real forever home is finally found.
Which makes me feel very proud to be a part of this group of people called the Columbus House Rabbit Society.
Posted by Sue at 5:22 PM
May 8, 2008
Baby Spaying News
Isabella, Buffy and Maddie were spayed yesterday. Being true daughters of tough-girl, Lucy, they wasted no time eating and pooping after the surgery.
They are only about four months old but Isabella and Buffy were already starting to build nests! Thankfully, all is well and they will be ready when their forever homes come along.
Marshall has already been neutered so that leaves Brook (who is adopted), Lacy and Brie who will be spayed next wednesday. It will be good to get these last spays completed.
Posted by Sue at 3:30 PM
May 4, 2008
New CHRS Ornament!
Check out our new CHRS ornament! I saw one yesterday and they are beautiful. Rupert's bonding kept me from taking any home but I expect to buy four of them. One will end up on the family Christmas tree. The rest will be positioned on my refrigerator, car rearview mirror, and someplace, as yet undefined, at work.
Posted by Sue at 5:25 PM
A Special Thanks to Our Fosterers
This is a particularly interesting time for me concerning all things CHRS. I am involved in preparations for our celebratory spring picnic, which means that I have CHRS on my mind a good deal of the time.
Yesterday was yet another day of preparation for the picnic. More importantly, Rupert, Terri and Jeremy Cook's foster rabbit, met Umlaut, a darling Lionhead from Cleveland. Umlaut recently lost her friend and Rupert appears to be an ideal candidate for her new friend.
I didn't stick around for the bonding but apparently things look promising and Rupert is now in Cleveland. This got me to thinking about the expectations we have for our fosterers.
Terri and Jeremy have been fostering for years. Interesting historical fact: they were the first HRS fosterers in Columbus after Karalee and Chuck and before CHRS even existed. They have given sanctuary to a number of rabbits through the years and have unselfishly wished them well in their new homes.
We expect our fosterers to provide the same love and care to our fosters that they give to their own rabbits. Yet we also expect them to relinquish these rabbits to someone else in the hope that these beloved foster rabbits will finally have a forever home.
We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Terri, Jeremy, and our other fosterers!
Posted by Sue at 2:26 PM