July 30, 2008
There's Always Something
I have always been the website admin for our "Make Mine Chocolate!" site. This spring, I also took over the CHRS site, relieving Karalee of that responsibility. It's something I should have done a long time ago since, most of the time, I really enjoy working on our websites.
Being a website admin is as close to the perfect volunteer job as I am likely to find. Most of what I do these days is maintenance: writing a blog entry, adding adoptable and sponsor rabbits, and other mundane activities. These tasks require very little effort but provide the perfect excuse for postponing less interesting responsibilities like unloading the dishwasher. After all, if I don't get Tanner's information posted tonight, that perfect adopter who visits our site tonight will not see him and Tanner will miss out on that forever home he clearly deserves. It's a bogus excuse but, as an expert procrastinator, my standards for what constitutes an acceptable excuse are pretty low.
But every now and then I get THE CALL or THE EMAIL. Invariably, Karalee is the sender and the message is usually pretty consistent: something that used to work now doesn't. I immediately begin a memory search, trying to remember what I worked on the previous night. Because, almost invariably, I made a mistake. Most of the time it's a simple fix but every now and then, I actually have to do some troubleshooting, which can mean a late night. Once the source of the problem is identified, the fix is usually pretty simple.
As you probably already know, I got THE CALL today. Columbusrabbit has become a debt relief site. Huh??? No memory search this time - yes, we've wandered off the reservation of what I know about websites. All I could think was, at least it's not a porn site!
The website looked fine on my work computer and on my new cell phone. Terri Cook said it looked fine. Initially, only two people, Bev and Karalee, saw our new debt site. My initial thought was a virus. So poor Karalee spent a chunk of her afternoon running virus scans. There are few things more boring than that but we were both in a panic by this point. Only later would we find out that Bev, who first discovered the problem, uses a Macintosh. That piece of information immediately demolished my virus hypothesis.
I then contacted our service provider for the second time. Their initial response suggested changing passwords but a quick look at the files indicated that the website content was untouched. They also suggested that local computers could be the source of the problem, such as a virus. But I subsequently learned that they were investigating the problem on their end.
They eventually discovered that there was a problem with the DNS zone file. Google is a marvelous thing and provided a simple explanation. I won't bore you with the details but, basically, there is a file that provides a directory of locations for sites such as ours. This directory somehow got modified and our website disappeared. My suspicion is that there are multiple directories and only one got changed. Which would explain why not everyone got to see the new debt site.
Thankfully, the problem now appears to be fixed. Our sincere thanks to Bev, Heather, Terri, and the other folks who helped us troubleshoot the problem.
I would like to use this occasion to make a request. If you ever see something on either site that doesn't seem right, please let Karalee or me know as soon as possible. It can be a concern that something on the site isn't correct as Laine Kathary did when she questioned something I had written about Teddie in this blog. Or it could be something more dramatic, like what happened today.
Karalee keeps a watchful eye on our sites but we need as many eyes as possible looking after our sites.
All's well that ends well, and I look forward to a quiet evening. Terri has sent new pictures of Tanner so I'd better get them up on the site. After all, that perfect adopter just might stop by!
Posted by Sue at 4:38 PM
July 24, 2008
Updates - Part 2
Lucy and her babies have been a popular topic on this blog. You may recall that Lucy is suffering from chronic wobbliness. She had been placed on Prednisone for a week in an attempt to reduce inflammation in her brain that might be causing the wobbles. Unfortunately, there has been little change in her condition. On the other hand, she hasn't gotten any worse so we're pretty happy about that.
One of her babies, Maddie, was recently adopted. Maddie now lives happily with Nicky!
And last but certainly not least, I am very pleased to introduce Boswell, a young, 15-pound Flemish Giant. Boswell is happily ensconced at the Curry residence. Karalee recently lost Nickie, another Flemish Giant, to abscesses, so Boswell's arrival has helped to fill the enormous gap left by Nickie's death. Although he is thin and appears to be suffering from pneumonia, Boswell is one very happy fellow.
Isn't he amazing?
I think that's it on the news front.
And if you're wondering what happened to our anti-dumping mini-campaign, we are still planning to do it. Unfortunately, July has disappeared into the depths of countless distractions so the plan is to get it done in August. Stay tuned....
Posted by Sue at 6:16 PM
Updates - Part 1
The news has been largely good lately. But first, I must send condolences to Terri and Jeremy Cook on the loss of their mouse, Stuart. Yes, I know, he wasn't a rabbit but Stuart was one of the luckiest critters I have ever had the pleasure to meet. He was literally picked up in a parking lot by a good samaritan outside an OSU lab, thus avoiding both becoming a laboratory test animal and being done in by any number of outdoor hazards. The ultimate stroke of luck was to be adopted by the Cooks. RIP, Stuart.
Our friend Quincy continues to recover nicely from his eye surgery. In case you're curious to know what an eyeless rabbit looks like, see below. Doesn't he look fabulous? And that gorgeous white figure belongs to Lucy.
As you may recall, Laine and Doug Kathary had bonded Teddie with Hope just a few weeks before Hope died unexpectedly from kidney problems. Teddie is now visiting with Maggie who is also a graduate of the Cardington barn rescue. So far, the bonding is going very well. Maggie is a gorgeous black and white lop. Keep your fingers crossed that the bonding continues to go well!
Posted by Sue at 5:46 PM
July 14, 2008
RIP Hope
In case you haven't already heard, Hope was euthanized today. All indications are that the surgery went well as did her initial recovery. However, after a few days of fluids and the standard meds used to keep her gut going and prevent infection, her activity level dropped precipitously yesterday. She also did not poop or pee overnight. During today's checkup, the decision was made to euthanize.
You may recall that her pre-surgery blood work showed a kidney problem. Unfortunately, what was not obvious was whether the high values were a result of the bloat or a pre-existing condition. The necropsy showed that her kidneys were pale and enlarged, which is consistent with a pre-existing kidney condition. Apparently the post-surgery meds and fluids caused her kidneys to shut down.
My sincere condolences to Laine, Doug, and Teddie. Teddie was one of the Cardington rabbits rescued in 2006. He was adopted soon after his rescue. We thought he had found his forever home but he was recently returned to CHRS and Karalee because of a divorce. He had just bonded with Hope a few weeks ago. Although Hope is now gone, Teddie has finally found his forever home with Laine and Doug.
Hope was very lucky to have found a home with Laine and Doug. I hope that they find some relief from their grief in knowing that she was one very lucky rabbit.
Posted by Sue at 6:35 PM
July 2, 2008
Energizer Bunnies
A quick update on two of our favorite patients, Quincy and Lucy.
First, let me clarify that I will be talking about two Lucy's. Quincy is bonded to one Lucy. The second Lucy is the mother of the babies and she is the Lucy with health issues.
Still with me?
I am very pleased to announce that Quincy is home, eating, pooping, and hanging with his gal pal Lucy. So far, Lucy appears to have forgiven Quincy for his stinky hospital smell and altered appearance. Keep your fingers crossed that she continues to stand by her man!
If all goes well, Quincy will be on pain meds and Dicural for two weeks. Those are the only meds he will receive. Amazing, isn't it!
You may recall that momma Lucy has been suffering from severe bouts of wobbliness. She was put on Prednisone a few days ago to see if it might encourage some neuronal healing. Karalee reports that she showed immediate improvement. However, she did have another bad episode of worsened wobbliness but this round was not as dramatic as previous bouts. A trip to OSU showed that her ear drums are still intact. Karalee's hope is that the Prednisone reduced the severity of this latest episode. Only time will tell.
In the past, rabbits were believed to lack the will to overcome significant medical setbacks. The argument was that there was little point in providing "extraordinary" care because the rabbit would give up and die anyway.
Quincy and Lucy clearly demonstrate that this is just another silly rabbit myth. Keep the prayers and positive vibes coming for our energizer bunnies!
Posted by Sue at 7:06 PM
June 23, 2008
Call Us Crazy - Part Two
I am no marketing expert but I have done a little research into the concept of viral marketing. Two basic elements are of particular interest. First is the observation that people's opinions tend to be strongly influenced by their friends and family members. Thinking of buying a new vacuum cleaner? Chances are, your research includes asking people you know which brand they use and what they think of it. Personally, I would just ask Karalee, which demonstrates my point.
Second, people who agree with a message are a cost-effective way of conveying that message to a wider audience. Love your vacuum cleaner? You're probably pretty motivated to share that information with anyone who is interested.
Okay, what does this mean for the dumping problem? One surprising fact we have learned is that a number of people, including people who work at shelters, believe that domestic rabbits can be dumped outside with no harm to the rabbits. Hard to believe but apparently true. Granted, some dumpers really don't care what happens to the rabbit. But some subset apparently do not understand that domestic rabbits are fundamentally unprepared to survive in the wild. Education might be a way to get to these people.
Second, it may be possible to put out an email and watch it work its way throughout the country. A friend of mine at work is an excellent source of links to humorous youtube videos. Interestingly, a friend of mine from my previous job has forwarded the same links.
The obvious question is, is it possible to create an educational email, with a link to our web page, that could be distributed to all of our friends and the rabbit lovers we know, as an inexpensive way to start an anti-dumping campaign? That's what we intend to find out.
In the next week or so, you will find an email from CHRS in your Inbox. Please forward it to sympathetic friends and family, and encourage them to do the same.
It may not be much but it could be a small step towards reducing the number of dumped rabbits. At the very least, we need to do "something."
Posted by Sue at 5:51 PM
Call Us Crazy - Part One
Please forgive me. I'm in a talkative mood tonight. This post is proving longer than I expected so I am splitting it into two parts.
I have this weird quirk that I find comfort in doing "something." Whether that something actually accomplishes anything is, of course, debatable. But the act itself provides at least some modest comfort.
Not surprisingly, my initial response to the horror of the poor dumped rabbit was to start thinking about what we can do. I was stymied, though, by the basic problem of how do you get to the dumpers? After all, they're not the ones using Google to search for information about why dumping is a bad thing.
Ironically, a second dump case brought some resolution. Karalee heard about a dumped rabbit with a foot stuck in a drain hole cover and, as it turns out, a broken back. This time, the rescuer took the rabbit to Norton Road Vet Clinic where it was humanely euthanized. Clearly an improvement over the first case but we're setting the bar pretty low here.
We are all way beyond fed up with dumped rabbits - let's not forget Lucy and Blackberry who, thankfully, suffered no broken bones but continue to battle serious medical issues. Karalee's suggestion was to create web pages on both columbusrabbit.org and makeminechocolate.org that describe the likely fate of dumped rabbits and what caring people should do if they find a dumped rabbit.
In support of her strategy, we can also take advantage of a technique that marketers are exploring: viral marketing. I will explain what that is in my next post.
Posted by Sue at 4:56 PM
Other People's Messes Redux
My sincere thanks to everyone who responded to my post about the dumped rabbit; and my apologies for taking so long to respond. Hopefully, the reason for this will be obvious in my next post.
In spite of the delay, I do want to pass along the messages that people shared. They gave me a lot of comfort during a grim time.
One respondent expressed gratitude that this poor rabbit was no longer suffering and in bunny heaven. I'm sure we all take comfort that the rabbit finally made its way to Karalee and Chuck.
A second respondent shared a story about a momma duck whose ducklings fell into a storm drain. Passersby did rescue the babies. It's an important reminder that some people will do the right thing.
Another response was to encourage us to find satisfaction in our successes. Our own rabbits who have forever homes full of love and the loving care we give to every rabbit that comes into our lives, however briefly. Yep, I wholeheartedly agree with this. We cannot let situations like this discourage us from continuing our work and loving our rabbits.
One respondent wanted to know why the person who rescued the rabbit did not take it to a vet or to the shelter. The answer is, we don't know. When Karalee talked to him, she was under the impression that he was going to do what she suggested.
Let's be realistic here. Not everyone is willing to spend their own money on an animal that does not belong to them. I'm fine with that. My beef is that he wasn't forthcoming about it. You know Karalee as well as I do. All he had to do was indicate that he wasn't willing or able to follow through. Does anyone doubt that she would have offered to take custody of the rabbit? But he didn't.
So there we have it. Good advice from some of our members. Thank you!
Some of us have been discussing what else we can do to help reduce the number of dumped rabbits. Look for my next post for details.
Keep the faith, everyone!
Posted by Sue at 4:09 PM
June 14, 2008
Other People's Messes
I read an email from Karalee yesterday just as i was getting ready to leave the office. It was a harrowing account of a rabbit with a broken leg and a dash through a severe thunderstorm to finally end the rabbit's suffering.
I won't go into the gory details other than to provide the basic facts. The rabbit apparently had been hit by a car after being dumped outside. The man who found the rabbit received advice from Karalee at 7:45 that morning but did not (could not, would not?) follow it. He subsequently abandoned the rabbit that evening at the Blendon Woods Nature Center.
Karalee and Chuck picked up the rabbit and took it to Norton Road Vet Clinic where it was euthanized. Thankfully, the rabbit died in a loving environment - the only positive thing I can say about the whole situation.
Since I received the email, I have been trying to think of something constructive to say but remain at a loss. I do know that my rabbits will receive additional goodnight pets for quite a while. I also know that I will take advantage of every opportunity to tell people that rabbits should never be dumped outside. It's not much but all I can think of right now.
If anyone has ideas for how to turn this into a positive, send them to me and I will post them.
Posted by Sue at 1:40 PM
June 9, 2008
How to Order the Karalee Book
This is a one-time offer!
Contact me by Friday, June 20, if you are interested in purchasing your own copy of the Karalee book for $29.95 plus shipping. CHRS will receive $2.99 per book if we order 10 or more books.
You can order the book at a later time but the publisher will receive all of the profits so order now!
Posted by Sue at 6:36 PM
CHRS on Bunspace
I had heard about Bunspace and even spent a few minutes snooping around it to see what it's all about. I also know a couple of our members who absolutely love it. But, frankly, I'm a traditional website kind of girl and never got all that excited about it.
Terri Cook has been hinting for some time that the chapter needs a presence on Bunspace. A few days ago, she got downright insistent about it. The deal was clinched, though, when Terri and Karalee produced a volunteer whose enthusiasm about Bunspace makes her a natural for serving as the face of CHRS on Bunspace.
So, with no further ado, please visit our Bunspace page. Obviously, it's still a work in progress but it already looks terrific. If you're a Bunspace enthusiast, look for Mary Beth Parisi, otherwise known as chrsbunspace@columbus.rr.com.
Kudos to Mary Beth!
Posted by Sue at 4:43 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
April 29, 2008
Why the New Name?
Astute readers of this fine blog may notice the new name. Personally, I always liked "Karalee's Corner" - not just because I thought it up but also because it had a certain cozy feel to it.
Unfortunately, the blog's namesake had a problem with it since, as Karalee accurately noted, she rarely has time to write. For me, that's a modest technicality but facts is facts.
Terri Cook, wordsmith extraordinaire, came up with the new name. Thanks, Terri!
I have also tried to replicate the color scheme of our new site. It still needs tweaking but you get the idea.
While I've got your attention, I want to remind you of our chapter celebration, to be held on June 7. Please please please send us your memories of your experiences with our chapter! After all, what is a chapter but a group of people with something in common - a passion for lagomorphs! Let's make this a real celebration of our successes and our people!
Posted by Sue at 4:15 PM
March 22, 2008
Karalee and Lucy are Famous!
Check out the front page of the Metro section of today's (Saturday, March 22) Columbus Dispatch! You'll find a terrific interview with Karalee warning against impulse purchases of rabbits for Easter. Also, there's a large photograph of Karalee and Lucy. If you don't get the Dispatch, you can read it here.
Congratulations to Karalee and Lucy!
Posted by Sue at 3:15 PM
March 16, 2008
Wonderful Online Article
Check out this terrific article on living with rabbits! It stars Matilda, a former CHRS foster rabbit.
My favorite line: "Matilda is not 'spoiled'; she's 'indulged.'" So there!
Be sure to click on the "View More Photos" link on the right. There's a wonderful picture of Matilda standing on her hind legs.
Hares Hop to a Different Drummer
Posted by Sue at 10:00 AM