In it you will find information on the latest CHRS happenings, as well as an article by Dr. Barbara Olglesbee on upper respiratory infections in rabbits.

Be sure to check it out.

This is so important not only for our health, but our rabbits. Please consider voicing
your concern. I did and it was easy to do. They provide a template.

Source: Organic Consumers Association newsletter

Wanted to pass along proposed GMO alfalfa introduction (Monsanto's RoundUp Ready Alfalfa) that may be cause for concern and action.

http://capwiz.com/grassrootsnetroots/issues/alert/?alertid=14469696

Public comments are being accepted through February 16, 2010.

Our sincere thanks to Adrienne's Mr. Bunny for being way too cute!

CHRS members Heather and John Dean were invited to give a presentation at United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Central Ohio on Monday, January 11th. UCP of Central Ohio is an agency that provides programs and services for people with disabilities and aging conditions.

Heather works at UCP of Central Ohio and makes every effort to spread the word about the joys of living with rabbits. Daphne, a big black New Zealand bun, helped John and Heather show the group how much fun house rabbits can be. Before the presentation started, Daphne got some nose pets and then settled down with a dramatic bunny flop! During the presentation, she was happy to munch on some greens and hay to emphasize the proper diet for a rabbit.

The group was most interested in learning about bunny proofing methods to protect rabbits from chewing dangerous cords. Heather explained that bunny proofing items can easily be purchased at the local hardware store. Of course the highlight of the day was getting the opportunity to pet Daphne. She was definitely soaking up the attention.

CHRS would like to thank UCP of Central Ohio for inviting us to talk with the participants and staff about the responsibilities of having a house rabbit.

In case you're wondering, this is Lucy Cook who has survived one health setback after another. Her reward? A brand new Christmas outfit! What a lucky bun!

I certainly did, in spite of the cold I came down with on Christmas day. But Laine was kind enough to loan me the first season of Dexter (a Showtime series), which I thoroughly enjoyed. So a few days spent lounging in bed turned out to be quite wonderful. Plus my family remains intact. My girls will be 13 sometime this year and are showing their age. But with the help of meds and a vigilant medical team, we all made it through another year and I am relieved that 2009 is now over.

As we face what looks to be a long, cold, snowy winter, I am soliciting content for this blog. In particular, I am looking for funny stories that exemplify life with rabbits. I have spent a lot of time with canines over the past few weeks and find them quite enjoyable but just not as charming as my beloved lagomorphs. So what is it about rabbits that makes them such delightful companions?

Please send stories and pictures. I need something to help me stay warm this winter!

Our sincere thanks to everyone who donated!

Team Rabbit will reconvene for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure next May. Please consider joining us!

Or suggest another event. Team Rabbit will consider any and all suggestions!

I have created TEAM RABBIT to participate in the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and I'm hoping you'll walk with me.

So far, Sue - our Survivor - and Julie and Laine have said they will walk with me. I believe you will have to visit my Team page and join.

I know there are a lot of breast cancer events out there, but Making Strides speaks to me because funds raised enable the American Cancer Society to help people stay well and get well from breast cancer, find cures, and empower people to fight back today. With your help, we can save lives.

If you'd like to join me at Making Strides, please visit my personal page. If you won't be in town, I hope you'll still support my efforts by making a donation of any amount you can spare.

As a little extra inspiration, I thought you might like to know a few of the ways the funds raised through Making Strides will help the American Cancer Society save lives every day.

When you walk and make donation...

* More people in our community will have the information and tools they need to help prevent breast cancer or find it early.
* More people with breast cancer will have a place to turn around the clock to help them through every step of their cancer journey - whether it's a free ride to treatment, a place to stay, or just talking to someone who has "been there."
* More progress will be made toward finding breast cancer's causes and cures. The American Cancer Society has played a role in nearly every major breast cancer breakthrough of the last century, which have led to the discovery of lifesaving breast cancer treatments like Tamoxifen and Herceptin. You will help us find more.
* More women - like our own mothers, daughters, sisters, and grandmothers - will have access to lifesaving mammograms and treatment they need.

Each of us has our own reasons for caring about the fight against breast cancer ... whatever your reasons, I hope you'll choose to make a difference by signing up to walk with me or making a donation online. I'm so grateful to have great people like you in my life who care about helping fight breast cancer!

Sincerely,

Terri Cook

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
American Cancer Society

Click here to visit my personal page.

Click here to view the team page for Team Rabbit

Click here to view the company page for Columbus House Rabbit Society

Abby and Ziggy are now living together and getting along well. I don't think they have quite decided who is in charge yet. I ended up putting some banana on Abby's head and Ziggy finally "groomed" her. She loved it!! Ziggy loved the banana. Abby is quite demanding in the relationship and Ziggy remains laid-back. She will still occassionally bat at him with her front paws when she is not getting what she wants, but she won't do a thing to him when he takes greens right from her mouth?! They make a cute little pair and Ziggy seems more upbeat.

Wessie Fest!

Here's a brief description:

"The Otterbein Lake Committee is organizing the fourth annual Wessie Fest nature festival on Saturday, August 29 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This is an outdoor event to celebrate nature and family fun, and will include live wildlife, games, displays, plants, food and music. Each year it is well attended, especially by families with children.

"The purpose of the festival is to get people excited about the world around them, to educate, to have fun, and to raise awareness of the project to enhance Otterbein Lake. Proceeds from the festival will be used for lake improvements."

This is a fun event and worth checking out. CHRS will have a booth and we need volunteers to staff it. Please contact Terri if you are interested in volunteering.

The Petland store has subsequently been closed and the local prosecutor is considering pressing charges.

We can try to salvage something positive from this episode by contacting Frank Difatta, the president of Petland, to encourage Petland to stop selling rabbits. Snail mail and telephone information are provided below:

Snail Mail:
Ed Kunzelman, Founder and Chair
Frank Difatta, President
Petland USA
250 Riverside St.
Chillicothe, OH 45601

Call or Fax:
740-775-2464
800-221-5935
740-775-2575 (fax)

If you call, be sure to request that they make a record of your call or otherwise document that you contacted them, including why. Also, give your name and phone number. Most of all, be polite!

If you want to send an email or snail mail, you can use Terri's email as a starting point.

Mr. Difatta,

I was enormously saddened to read where an Akron Petland employee sadistically drowned two of the store's rabbits. Their tragic deaths came only after employees allegedly allowed them to mutilate each other while housed in the Akron store.

Thank you for Petland's corporate response to this incident. I understand the store was a franchise and will no longer be permitted to operate as such, and the employee in question has been charged with animal abuse. For these things, I am grateful.

Please take this opportunity to realign your company policies against selling animals and focus instead on pet supplies. I personally will not shop at Petland or any store that sells animals. I do frequent Pet People and online retailers to purchase supplies for my own pampered pet rabbits (which always includes one foster rabbit). I routinely use Oxbow hays, Carefresh litter, Oxbow pellet food, etc.

Again, I thank you for coming out with statements against this individual and terminating the Akron store's affiliation with Petland.

Thank you,

Terri Cook

I have been on vacation this week, trying to catch up on life. My life went on hold for two months during radiation and I had hoped to get my house in some semblance of order and catch up on obligations that had to be set aside during those months. Needless to say, I failed miserably. One more day and I'm back to work. And, yes, the house is still a disaster and my to do list remains overwhelming. More worrisome, my Shelby has not bounced back yet from the dental surgery she had on Thursday.

Terri reminded me that it was a year ago that her beloved Quincy had surgery. It was also during this time that Laine's Hope lost her valiant battle with an obstruction.

I'm feeling a bit nostalgic tonight, thinking of all that has happened over the past 12 months. My girls are still with me (at least for now), which is a bit surprising. And friends like Laine, Karalee, and Terri helped me enormously during my cancer days. I have a lot to smile about.

So I will celebrate the 4th by remembering two amazing rabbits, Quincy and Hope.

On Sunday, July 19, 2009 from 12:00 to 4:00pm, the Whole Foods Market at 3670 W. Dublin-Granville Rd (near the intersection of SR 161 & Sawmill Road) will be grilling out to benefit the Columbus House Rabbit Society!

We'll have a great day of fun and food! Their outdoor grill will be selling hot dogs, artichoke veggie burgers, and a third choice from their organic meat department - sausage, burgers, brats, etc. And a portion of the proceeds will be donated to our chapter.

This is one-stop shopping at its best: have lunch, do some grocery shopping, and support the Columbus House Rabbit Society in one visit!

Print out the flyer to hang up or hand out to let people know about this event! Encourage your friends and family to join us for lunch and support our chapter!

The day of the event, CHRS will have an information table near the grill. We will need a few volunteers to pass out information about CHRS. Please contact me at terri@columbusrabbit.org if you'd like to volunteer.

Let's eat!!

Join CHRS this Saturday at Nationwide as we participate in the Pet Promise Rescue Run. Festivities start at 9am and go all day! Register to walk/lightly jog :-) with Team Running Rabbits (Bring bunny ears! I know you have them). Support our team here:
http://www.facebook.com/l/;http://www.firstgiving.com/meganlynch2

or just get your face painted, pet blessed and micro-chipped, watch demonstrations, enjoy music....it's going to be a blast!

Here's the website! http://www.facebook.com/l/;http://rescuerun.com/

Check out the fun from last year!

WARNING (there will be dogs there lots of dogs. :-p)