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The Buckeye House Rabbit Society     
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Sanctuary Rabbits

 

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Tazwell & Scarlet
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Martina
 

Cecelia

Bee

Margery Pontiac
 

Calvin
 

Pumpkin

Puff
     
     
Farewells to Sanctuary Friends

Lazlo

Belle

Patty

Annie

Harvey

Lyle

Emma

Patches

Lorenzo

Malcolm

 


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Margery Pontiac

Margery Pontiac (named after a Holstein cow) is a beautiful dark brow agouti rabbit with vision problems. Ideally Margery would like us to place hay in her litterbox one strand at a time. This is somehow very reassuring to her, but as you can imagine becomes highly impractical. If we move at a normal pace, she becomes flustered and overwhelmed and bats the hay right out of our hands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Margery has developed close ties to only certain humans whom she will let per her, but only if a specific scripted routine is followed. She's never bitten anyone - ever - but puts on a great and scary display of boxing, batting, grunting, and other intimidating acts.


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Bee

Bee is a beautiful bunny with a strong defensive streak and will bite if she feels her territory is being invaded. No matter how hard we try to get to know her, she hasn't yet let her guard down after five years. We'll keep trying until she's ready, and she will always have a place in our Sanctuary home.

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Cecelia

Cecelia is a huge hunk of happy, snuggly, and funny all rolled into one big white pink-eyed bunny. But if we move too quickly or are late in delivering her hay and pellets, she serves us an occasional bite on the hand, usually drawing blood. Everything has to slow down for Cecelia or she becomes overwhelmed and ready to strike. Like many of the Sanctuary rabbits, she's usually passed over for a friendlier or cuter bunny at adoption time.

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Pumpkin

We rescued Pumpkin and seven of her siblings on November 26th, 2005, from the Logan County Humane Society after they had been seized from a meat rabbit operation that was operating under poor conditions. All of the buns were wary of humans since they'd never been handled as pets. Although the others were eventually adopted, Pumpkin had an attitude and was always skipped over. She was quite distant and would growl, charge, and box during any attempt to handle her. Sometimes she would scream when she was picked up.

Pumpkin did, however, seem to like dogs, and since we have five of them, she had plenty of company. She would be completely at ease around them, even playing with them and teasing. At one point, we moved Pumpkin from our foster population in the outbuilding into the house, hoping that more frequent interaction with humans would put her at ease. It did not work. She is still averse to humans (and other rabbits).


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Tazwell and Scarlet
Tazwell (gray and white) and Scarlet (black) have found new life together as seniors. Scarlet, always a shy bunny, never found a permanent home. She was always passed over for a cuter or more sociable bunny. Tazwell is the last bunny we rescued from the big Elyria hoarding situation of 2005-2007. He, too, was so shy he wouldn't let anyone touch him and spent most of his days inside of a hidey box.

When Taz and Scarlet were introduced to each other in 2013, it was instantaneous friendship. Taz is now 100% blind in both eyes and afraid to venture out on his own to explore. Scarlet is now his "eyes" and challenges him to engage in new adventures like jumping on top of boxes and meeting new friends.

They snuggle together, protect each other, eat each other's food, and do things they wouldn't otherwise do on their own.


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Puff

 

Puff came to the Buckeye House Rabbit Society in April 2005 as a healthy, active boy and was adopted in December 2005 to a family with small children. Two years later, I received a call from his adoptive family saying they could no longer care for Puff -- caring for a bunny in addition to two small kids was too much to handle. When Puff came back to our foster home in December 2007, we immediately noticed something was off. He wobbled when he walked and also when he stood still. Sometimes he would lose his balance and almost fall over.

After a thorough vet checkup, x-rays, bloodwork, and some other tests, Puff’s diagnosis was inconclusive. His wobbliness could be caused by anything from a neurological problem to a parasitic infection (which he was treated for).

To help him maintain his balance, Puff needs to live on non-slip carpets that give him lots of traction. Other than his wobbliness, Puff is a normal, healthy, sweet bunny with a very hearty appetite!

He lives a happy life in a large pen are with his best friend, Calvin, another Buckeye HRS Sanctuary rabbit. They lean on each other most of the day, literally keeping each other from falling over.

Kristen Doherty


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Martina

Martina is a gorgeous female silver marten rabbit. She was a Buckeye HRS foster
rabbit who was adopted back in 2004 to a loving home. In 2008, her owner,
though only in her 30's, passed away from cancer, so Martina came back to her
original foster home. Martina has chronic pasteurella and upper respiratory
ailments. Though treated by an experienced rabbit vet, she will always sneeze
and needs frequent nebulizer treatments.

Kristi Cole


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Patty & Annie


FAREWELL TO PATTY
December 09

I had to put Patty down this morning. In two days, her back legs went from being stiff with arthritis, to not working at all. She could not walk and I noticed she was having trouble breathing. By last night, she had started to have some thick nasal discharge and had lost interest in eating. It was her time. She was over ten years old and had fought cancer for two years. (Thank you very, very much to Dr. O, Dr. Tim, and the fantastic staff at the Bird & Exotic Wellness Center in Toledo. You guys gave her another good two years with me that I am so grateful for.) (Thanks also to Dr. Clark and his staff at the Bellevue Animal Hospital for Patty's initial spay and tumor removal, and for helping her to the bridge this morning. We lean on you a lot and want you to know how very much we appreciate your putting up with us!)

Patty was named after my mom (it gets hard coming up with new names for all these guys). She was the last survivor of a group of six we took in when their owner was evicted -- the first group rescue to put us over the three-foster-bun limit that Sue & I were supposed to operate under. We've never been under four fosters since then! She and her five relatives were surrendered by their owner after a BHRS member contacted me for help.

That contact in itself is a long story, some of the details are still secret for privacy reasons, I think. (The person who saved those rabbits is on our mailing list - THANK YOU for getting them to us!). They all lived outside, in a wire run in a backyard in Toledo where they were fed day-old donuts from a bakery where the owner worked, and only randomly received water. The waste from the rabbits simply piled up so high in the run that the buns were basically living on a large mound of droppings, with very little room above their heads. Breeding was not controlled, and the rabbits were occasionally harassed by neighbor kids. They were all rex rabbits with thin fur on their feet, so everybun had sore hocks. Since they weren't used to having clean water, they were all accustomed to drinking their own urine, which all continued to do while in our care. It's gross until you realize that this behavior was one they developed as a means of survival.

Of the six rabbits, three of them were already so old that they were unlikely to be adopted: Granny was eight, her daughter Annie was five, and the granddaughter Patty was over three. None of them had been spayed and I knew cancer would be a risk. As it turned out, all three of them succumbed to it. Despite immediate spaying, (all of them had ovarian or uterine growths discovered during the spays), Granny died in less than a year, but Annie and Patty became bonded here.  Annie died last fall. Mammary lumps were discovered on Patty's abdomen in December of 2007 and her primary veterinarian considered her condition terminal, the cancer having spread to her lungs. Although I don't second-guess my vet, *something* prompted me to get a second opinion this time. A second x-ray did not indicate presence in the lungs and the doctor was willing to remove the growths. Pathology showed it was indeed a fast-spreading type of cancer. During the next 18 months, she had five more surgeries to remove the recurring tumors, in addition to hormone therapy, in an attempt to control the spread of the cancer. Even so, Patty remained a happy, curious rabbit. In mid-2009, when the lumps appeared again, Dr. O. and I decided that yet another surgery was not a practical option for a rabbit of her age and condition. It took from then, until now (December 2009), for the cancer to take over.

Together with Annie

During her stay with us, Patty was a bit of a celebrity. She was never afraid of our four large dogs, and she seemed to like interacting with them, climbing on them, jumping over them, and moving their tails whenever they got in her way. With her soft rex fur, beautiful long eyelashes, and super friendly disposition, she was always popular with kids when adopters would visit. But younger rabbits were always chosen over the old ladybun. She became very attached to me, and loved to share mutual grooming sessions if I would lie on the floor with her. She also insisted on being fed FIRST, and was not afraid to follow me around the foster room until she was served. Once I was being interviewed for a documentary on fostering (it's a work on hold for now), and I decided to sit on the floor with a rabbit sitting on a bale of hay behind me, making an interesting backdrop. I picked Patty because I knew she would sit still eating hay and not go exploring. Suddenly in the middle of questioning, I felt warm breath in my ear and the distinctive touch of a raspy little rabbit tongue licking me. She decided to start grooming me during the interview, right when I was responding to "What is the most rewarding part of fostering?" Of course, I had to answer "Having a foster rabbit giving me bunny kisses."

See you at the bridge, Patrice! Be good!

Thanks again to everyone. An especially BIG thank you to the sponsors in our sanctuary program. The cost for Patty’s many surgeries and meds would have overwhelmed us if it were not for your extremely generous support. All of BHRS’s fosterers are tremendously grateful for your contributions to the care of these very special rabbits.

Keith Zimmerman

 

Patty came into foster care in 2003 as part of a family of buns that were in danger of being released into the wild due to the owner being evicted. All were in a poor condition, having survived on little or no water and a diet of stale donuts brought home by their owner. They had lived outdoors in a run that was more than half-filled with piles of feces, so each of them had some degree of sore hocks. The three oldest of these buns were Granny, Patty, and Annie, who were all over the age of five and had not been altered. Annie's leg had been broken at some time in her life and had healed at an almost 90 degree angle from normal.

Because of their age, we knew they would be difficult to get adopted. Unfortunately, Granny died eight months later from lung cancer. Annie and Patty bonded together and despite their wonderfully friendly personalities, they were repeatedly passed over by adopters in favor of younger buns. In 2006, due to their advanced ages, they were added to the Sanctuary program as un-adoptables.

In November of 2008, Annie became very sick with lung cancer and had to be euthanized. Patty has had three mammary tumors removed over the last two years; however, her health is good and the cancer does not appear to have spread to her lungs. She is a beautiful satin rex girl with long, gorgeous eyelashes! We watch her closely for signs of any additional tumors. All of these girls are textbook examples of why it so vitally important to have pet rabbits (especially females), spayed as soon as they reach adulthood.

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FAREWELL TO ANNIE

Annie
 

Keith Zimmerman


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Belle


FAREWELL TO BELLE

 

Like every foster rabbit that comes to us, we had such high hopes when you came into our home.  We’d get you ‘altered’ and healthy so that a loving family would give you a forever home where you’d live the life of a house rabbit.  But for one reason or another, perhaps you were too shy or old, or easily frightened, or you used your teeth to express yourself when a growl would suffice, no one came to adopt you. 

So it was with Belle (aka Mrs. Bootski), a stray who was captured in Bellefontaine after evading her captors for three cold months in 2001.  Throughout February, March, and April, neighbors had spotted her roaming the area before she was finally corralled and caught.  Even though we were 100 miles away, we were the only foster home that had room for her, so we made the trip to pick her up. 

It was obvious that Belle was extremely shy and unaccustomed to human affection.  Despite our best efforts to socialize her, she didn't warm to anything more than a nose rub at feeding time.  She wasn’t even interesting in exploring during her free time.  As the weeks turned to months, and the months turned to years, we knew it was going to be hard to place Belle into a new home.  After three years of zero interest in her from potential adopters, we decided that even if Belle was adopted, it would be especially stressful for her to get re-settled, therefore she joined our sanctuary program.  She moved into the living room where she seemed to enjoy interacting with the dogs, cat, and (somewhat) with us.  Still, she didn’t come out of her x-pen when given the chance, and became stiff as a board when picked up for cuddling or grooming.  Although she was constrained by the restricted liberties of being a foster, she finally settled into her routines and became comfortable with familiar surroundings and with the people who cared for her. 

One night about bedtime, Sue noticed that Belle hadn’t eaten her veggies or her pellets and she seemed to be uncomfortable.  I picked her up and held her while casually examining her.  She was cold and lethargic, so I let her snuggle into a plush blanket on my lap and gently stroked her head and ears while she relaxed and her eyes started to close.  Twenty minutes later she let out a deep sigh and she died.  Despite all of the euthanasia events I’d tended to in the past with rabbits and dogs, this was the first time an animal had ever died in my arms of natural causes.  Thankfully, it was a quiet and peaceful passing, although it still left me feeling empty and helpless in the face of “The Black Rabbit.” 

I am so very grateful to the sponsors who contribute to the sanctuary program.  Without your support, taking care of rabbits like Mrs. Bootski would be completely up to us and would undoubtedly limit the number of other fosters that we can care for and find homes for.  Because they are generally long-term residents, there’s no way for us not to become attached to them just as we do with our own pets.  Currently three of our nine fosters are sanctuary rabbits living out their days by keeping us company.  Sadie, Sylvester, and Pumpkin join me in thanking their sponsors for all their help!  

Keith ZImmerman


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Harvey


FAREWELL

October, 2008

It is with tremendous sadness that I'm letting you know that Harvey, my beloved sanctuary rabbit, passed away. He was a black lop we've had for the last four years and had the most interactive personality of any rabbit I've ever had.

He used to seek me out and jump on my lap on the family room couch to watch TV in the evenings and groom me. If I was in the living room reading while Bill was watching something else, Harvey would make his way up the steps to the living room to sit or lie with me on that couch. Even though he was deaf, it seemed he always knew where I was.

I miss him terribly and even though there are other rabbits in the house, there is a huge void in our lives. He was my best pal.

Harvey had medical issues from the day he came to us. Bad teeth, bad ears, bad tear ducts, sneezing goop, etc. His chronic pasteurella manifested in many forms. He has had several surgeries for facial and ear abscesses over the years and always remained super friendly. Even his veterinarian, Dr. Riggs, thought Harvey was a very rare personality (they all loved him up there, too) and said Harvey belonged on the Mt. Rushmore of Rabbits. :-)

Kristi

 

Harvey is a mini-lop who is about five years old. He has a deformed jaw which
causes him lots of dental and ear problems.

Since his jaw doesn’t line up, his teeth cannot wear properly and he has to have his molars trimmed every two months by his veterinarian. Due to his dental problems, he cannot eat greens like a normal rabbit -- they become impacted in his mouth. In order to get some veggies in him, he gets pure canned pumpkin instead of a salad each morning. He loves the pumpkin and gets an orange chin until he has a chance to groom himself after eating..

He also has chronic ear problems which sometimes lead to respiratory infections. His ears get flushed at the vet every two months and he is often on antibiotic ear drops. His ears also get cleaned daily at home. Most recently, he had a respiratory infection that required twice-daily antibiotic injections for nearly a month to clear up. His medical bills will always be ongoing and can be quite expensive.

Throughout all the poking, prodding, digging and cleaning, Harvey has kept his sweet personality. He loves to be petted and jumps on the couch to watch TV in the evenings.

Kristi Cole


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Kellene

 

In December ('07), I finally formally categorized Kellene as a sanctuary rabbit. We have had her for two years and despite our efforts to socialize her, she is still aggressive and bites us. I have tried several bonding attempts as well and she is super aggressive towards other rabbits, too. So I guess she is going to live out her days at our house.

Kristi Cole


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Lyle


FAREWELL, Lyle
 

Lyle came into Buckeye HRS foster care in November of 2003 at approximately four months old. Because of the special ongoing care required, it is unlikely that Lyle will be adopted, so he's considered a Sanctuary rabbit.

 

 

Here's a bit of Lyle's background --

A lady, whose son won Lyle at a carnival, was exasperated and annoyed because he was constantly wetting himself and making a lot of work for her. She wasn't willing or financially able to look into the medical causes of Lyle's problem, nor the necessary treatments. Her husband had threatened to throw him out into the woods to fend for himself if she didn't "get rid of him" soon.

When Lyle arrived, he had bad hock sores on his feet. His legs were raw and scalded from urine burn. We cleaned him up and rubbed antibacterial cream on him for a few days, but the problem didn't go away. Lyle had several vet visits, and despite the many tests performed, his problem was a mystery. Finally, after several more tests, we learned that his body was overproducing urine crystals. We still can't figure out, however, why he "leaks". Because of this leaking, he needs to be bathed at least every other day. He also needs to have a special cream rubbed on his underside, thighs, and feet. He must live on fleece blankets with absorbent rugs and towels underneath to soak up the moisture. Recently we have seen evidence of bladder sludge, a thick pasty substance in his urine, so he needs subcutaneous fluids at least every day to help flush the sludge from his bladder.

Unusual for a dwarf (he's about 3 ½ lbs), Lyle is a snuggler. He loves people and doesn't mind being picked up and held. He'll also sit a long time for pets. Although he doesn't like his regular baths, he does enjoy the attention and the human contact he gets. He is a true joy to care for!


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Lazlo
 


FAREWELL

It’s with great sadness that we say goodbye to Lazlo, a Buckeye HRS Sanctuary rabbit in our care for over six years. Lazlo was our little Dutch head-tilt bunny who had been living with Calvin, another head-tilt Sanctuary bunny, for all of those six years. Here’s Lazzie’s story:

Back in May 2003, I received a call from a local animal shelter about a very sick bunny who would be euthanized if someone did not pick him up within 24 hours. When I went to retrieve him, there he was – all skinny and matted -- with runny eyes, a runny nose, and a slight head-tilt. I scooped him up and brought him home, and although we treated him immediately with antibiotics and ear cleanings, his head-tilt began to get worse, not better. By the time we found a more effective antibiotic, however, the infection had spread to his inner ear and his head-tilt had worsened to a 45% angle. We continued with the antibiotic and the ear cleanings for several weeks and finally the infection was gone. His severe head-tilt was permanent, but he remained healthy for several years.

We introduced him to Calvin right away and they bonded instantly. There was no aggression between them whatsoever. It seemed as if they both knew they had something in common from the start and became best buddies for life. At mealtimes, they would run circles around each other at top speeds, twirling in opposite directions, and would inevitably crash into each other -- or to avoid collision, one would jump over the other, landing on sure footing – a miraculous feat for head-tilt bunnies who learned to right themselves after weeks of falling over sideways. Lazlo, with eartips pointing to his right, and Calvin, eartips pointing to his left, were inseparable. They jumped, ran, ate, played, and snuggled together every day of those six years. (Calvin, by the way, is doing well -- he’s now best friends with Puff, another Sanctuary rabbit.)

You brought us hours and hours of entertainment, laughter, and love for six-plus wonderful years. We will miss you terribly, little Lazzie.

Kristen and Paul Doherty

 

Lazlo, another Sanctuary rabbit with major head-tilt, has made a successful recovery; however, he will always be tilted like Calvin. He went through a rough period of rolling, as Calvin did during the worst phase of his ear infection. An infection had traveled to Lazlo's middle ear and he eventually started to roll, uncontrollably at times.

After about four months of therapy, Lazlo is off all meds at this time. He underwent the same treatment as Calvin, and his exercise routine and physical therapy were the same as Calvin's. Lazlo is also able to catch himself on a roll, but he hardly ever rolls anymore.

Lazlo now shares a pen with Calvin, our first Sanctuary rabbit with head-tilt. They bonded instantly and are best buddies. They're both neutered and very healthy, but both are permanently tilted. Calvin tilts left and Lazlo tilts right, like mirror images of one another. They are hilarious when they both start running in circles around their pen.  -- Kristen Doherty

 


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Calvin

When Calvin arrived at my house a year ago from a shelter, he was rolling uncontrollably and his head was severely tilted. His body was contorted and twisted, and he rolled continuously in one direction for several hours. When he was upright, his head tilted greater than 90 degrees to the left – nearly upside down.

We set him up in a 25"x16"x15" cage with a top-opening lid. To keep him from rolling, we wedged him in tightly and securely by placing a tall-sided litter box inside the cage. We lined it with towels, then added a layer of fleece fabric over the towels to wick away moisture. We kept him propped upright on all fours by placing rolled-up towels all around him to keep him from rolling uncontrollably and hurting himself. He spent the first two months living this way, occasionally coming out for exercise. Many times he needed bathing (a major challenge) since he was rolling around in his urine and feces for much of the day. There was no room for him to move in the pod, so we took him out twice a day for exercise, for at least an hour at a time, holding a hand on his back end while he hopped in order to prevent him from falling over and rolling. We built him a special exercise area. For flooring, we put down 3 long rubber-backed rugs, forming a 5’ x 5’ square. We then covered the area with a washable fleece blanket and padded the perimeter with window-seat cushions and old pillows propped up against a low exercise pen.

After six months of treatment, Calvin was moved to a new, larger padded pen area, where he can now run around 24 hours a day, unattended. He does an occasional roll when he’s excited about something, but for the most part he acts like the other bunnies. He even has a cardboard tunnel to run through, but instead of a round tube, it’s square. He shows off by zipping through it repeatedly while running his track, and he can now run very fast.

We never held the expectation that Calvin’s head and neck would be perfectly straight, but instead, what we hoped for was for him to be left unattended without rolling. That is now the case. He squirms and twists when we try to hold him, so we rarely pick him up. Instead, we sit on the floor with him to snuggle. He nestles up close to us, gives us kisses, nudges for pets, and generally wants to be with us as much as possible. He is currently free of any ear issues, thanks to all of the medical care he was able to receive through the Sanctuary Sponsorship program! He will continue to have vet checkups every few months.

Calvin now has a best friend, Puff -- another Sanctuary rabbit -- to lean on.

-- Kristen Doherty

 


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Malcolm
 


FAREWELL

It is with much sadness that I write of Malcolm's passing. He died May 15, 2004, due to an abscess that had developed in his pelvic area. Because of the location of the abscess, nothing could be done for him without causing him much pain and suffering. Malcolm's passing was very peaceful. He was roughly 5 years old.

Malcolm had been a Sanctuary rabbit since the summer of 2000 when a lady who found him wandering in her yard brought him to me. He was the first Buckeye HRS foster rabbit to become a Buckeye HRS Sanctuary bunny. His favorite food was cilantro, which he inhaled every night. His favorite thing to do (besides eat!) was to lay his head flat on the ground for pets. He will be missed.

Thank you to all those who sponsored Malcolm. The medical care he received throughout his life would not have been possible if not for your generous financial contributions.

Goodbye, dear Malcolm -- you have left a void in our lives that will never be filled. The day you came to our home, our lives changed for the better. You showed us that adversity could be overcome with a little patience and lot of caring. Things are just not the same without you scooting about, twitching your behind uncontrollably every time you got something good to eat. We will never forget your rushing up to greet us when we walked toward you, head mushed down flat, ready in the petting position. You remain with us always and forever -- we love you.

Kristen and Paul Doherty

 

Malcolm was abandoned in a wooded area and found by 2 good Samaritans roughly four years ago. His back legs are deformed due (most likely) to a genetic defect, but he can still run and hop. He has use of both back legs. Because he can’t completely stand up, his back end is always in contact with the floor and as a result, he frequently gets a messy bottom, requiring a bath about once a week.

Since he can’t use his back legs to clean out his ears, Malcolm gets chronic ear infections. He is now on a regular maintenance program of ear flushings and medications to control and prevent any future ear infections.  -- Kristen Doherty


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Emma


FAREWELL

Goodbye our little bi-polar girl. We miss your batting, grunting, lunging, ankle-biting and general moodiness. We miss your relentless begging for a baby carrot, your running across the top of the leather sofa at top speed, your graceful leaps high in the air, and your dramatic flops in the middle of the room. We miss you sitting under the chair next to the tree while we opened our Christmas presents. You always wanted to be close to people, whether a group of four or forty, as long as no one got too close. You were the Queen of Drama, the Queen of Mean, the Queen of Sheba, our Emma Jean. Thank heaven you didn't suffer. We miss you every day.

Kristen and Paul

Emma was rescued in May 1999 when her "person" wanted a veterinarian to euthanize her because of her bad behavior. The vet instead asked the lady to call the Buckeye House Rabbit Society. We took Emma in as a foster bunny and when it became clear to us that she would never be adopted because of her behavior, Emma became a Sanctuary rabbit. Because she could not co-exist peacefully with other rabbits, Paul and I brought her up to our first floor where we could give her special attention and work on behavior issues. She was roughly 10 years old when she passed away from a congenital heart problem. Emma was one of the rabbits helped by the Sponsor A Sanctuary Rabbit program, so thank you to Emma's sponsors.

We jokingly refer to Emma as our "bipolar" Sanctuary rabbit. She is moody and can scare people (including us) with her batting, grunting, lunging, and occasional biting. We are only able to give her pets on her nose, usually first thing in the morning, and she will not let us touch her anywhere else on her body. Emma is unusually territorial and makes her displeasure known if we try to enter her large pen area.

Another odd thing about Emma is that she loves to be around people, especially kids – as long as you don’t touch her. She typically bounds out of her pen to greet house guests. Many times she will plop herself in front of the fireplace when people are sitting in the family room or kitchen talking. She loves to run, dance, leap, and flop.

Emma is otherwise very healthy. Although she has no current medical expenses, she does need a steady supply of hay, fresh greens, pellets, and an occasional visit to the vet.  -- Kristen Doherty


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Lorenzo
 

FAREWELL

Kristen Doherty writes, November 24, 2002 --

I am sorry to tell you that Lorenzo passed away today. He underwent invasive bulla (middle ear) surgery on Thurs, which was his only chance for any kind of recovery from his severe ear infections and head tilt. I was providing basic post-operative care since his return home on Fri, and he quickly began to decline until he could no longer fight. The infection was extremely aggressive and was putting severe pressure on his brain and nerves. He was suffering horribly, couldn't eat, and was struggling to breathe, so Paul and I drove him to the vet. Lorenzo's vet assured us that we were doing the right thing by ending his pain.  Paul and I can say we did everything we possibly could to give him a chance. In just seven weeks, he stole our hearts, and we will miss him terribly.

 

Lorenzo has severe head tilt. He was abandoned with 16 other rabbits by a 19 yr old girl who was "rescuing" rabbits. Apparently she had a drug problem and left home one day, and left the rabbits in her family’s garage to fend for themselves. The girl's family was going to euthanize Lorenzo, so I took him home.

Lorenzo is currently undergoing aggressive ear treatment since both ears are badly infected. We’re convinced that his feisty personality is what’s keeping him fighting this horrible infection. He was put under anesthesia twice to clean/debride abscesses deep inside both ears. A few days after the very first ear cleaning, Lorenzo was able to stand, whereas he could not before.

More recently, Lorenzo underwent a complicated and costly surgical procedure called a bulla osteotomy to remove more infected tissue and debris from the middle ear. It is his only hope of achieving a near-normal quality of life. We are hoping that the surgery, along with follow-up treatment, will enable him to stand at will and to someday walk and hop. As long as he continues to receive treatment, Lorenzo will remain a Sanctuary rabbit.

Lorenzo’s treatment will require long-term use of medications and possibly ongoing surgeries and ear flushings. This means several trips to the vet.

Lorenzo is roughly 8 yrs old and currently lives in a 25"x16"x15" cage with a top-opening lid. The cage is lined with towels and fleece.  -- Kristen Doherty


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Patches

FAREWELL

May 29, 2008

With tremendous regret, I report that Patches has left us. Despite still having a tremendous will to live and fighting spirit, her condition deteriorated to the point that it was impossible for us to keep her clean and dry. She had begun to lose her appetite and her rear legs were becoming less and less functional. I did not want her to suffer from the pain and discomfort that was beginning to overcome her.

Thank you to everyone who knew, visited, loved her, and contributed to her care. She is most definitely one foster rabbit that I will never forget. I'm certain that her mischievous spirit is still inspiring the other fosters in our care!

Keith and Sue

This is the story of Patches, a foster rabbit who came into the care of the Buckeye House Rabbit Society in April of 2004. Patches was a stray who had been spotted running around a Massillon-area construction site for several weeks. The workers were finally able to capture her and contact BHRS. She arrived at our foster home on April 24, 2004 in a deplorable state of health with the following ailments in need of urgent attention: fur mites, ear mites, numerous embedded ticks around her head and neck, a urine-soaked rear end, and intestinal tapeworms. Additionally, she had no fur on the bottoms of her feet (most likely from living in a wire-floored hutch), an eye injury that was healing but had left a large white scar, and very dirty and stained fur. She exhibited signs of head tilt and seemed to be very unstable whenever she tried to walk. Her rear limbs were very weak and she fell over whenever she attempted to take more than one hop at a time.

Patches was treated with Revolution for her mites and ticks, antibiotic ointment for her injured eye, and medication to kill her tapeworms. She was tested for Encephalitozoon cuniculi as a possible source of the head tilt and rear end instability, but the results were negative. Thorough examinations and x-rays have led her care-givers to determined that the head tilt was caused by the ear mite infestation (since cured), and her instability is the result of a past trauma that has left an untreatable muscular-skeletal or neurological injury. She will never be able to posture herself correctly in order to urinate without soiling the fur on her back legs and genital area. Because of this, she has suffered repeated urinary tract infections and bouts of urine scald. She must eat a very controlled diet since any moderately high-calcium foods cause her to produce sludgy urine that is almost solid.

Patches has been placed in sanctuary status because her various conditions require constant, specialized care that most adopters would find difficult to provide. Her posterior must be shaved, washed, and treated with protective ointment regularly and her housing requires twice-a-day cleaning and disinfecting. Occasionally we must administer subcutaneous fluid injections for week-long periods to flush the sludge from her bladder. She visits the veterinarian regularly to receive prescriptions for antibiotics and pain relief medication.

In spite of her afflictions, Patches is one of the most affectionate, attention-craving rabbits that we've ever cared for. She endures all of the washings, medicine dosings, and exams, and then immediately starts nudging for some bunny loving and pets. She will sit still for kisses and petting just as long as someone is willing to give them. And even though she usually loses her balance and flops onto her side, she still loves to run in short spurts and do binkies! Her first mission during her exercise times is to visit each of the other foster buns to say hello and rub noses. She is a very happy rabbit!

-- Keith and Sue Zimmerman

 

Sanctuary Rabbits

 

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