Bunnies need a lot of attention and love

Happy Monday!

When I was a kid, my mother bought me a bunny. It was an Easter gift, given in place of the sugary, chocolate variety, which my older, jealous siblings received, as usual, that year.

I named him Benjamin, after the Beatrix Potter rabbit in The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, and kept him in a long, wooden run that my dad built at the side of our house.

Benji was an English Spot, a stereotypical black and white lapin with floppy ears and a cute, whiskered nose. Come to think of it, he was the spitting image of a sweet rabbit that was waiting for her forever home at The Good Place: Farm Rescue and Santuary in Ste.Genevieve, Man.

Benjamin (Facebook)

Brook Lynn was one of nearly 100 rabbits that was rescued from a hoarding situation in Manitoba last spring.

When I spoke to The Good Place: Farm Rescue and Sanctuary owner Jen Allen last week, she told me that 45 of the prolific breeders had babies shortly after they arrived.

“It was a ton of bunnies,” said Allen, whose primary focus is rescuing and rehabilitating horses on her farm 55 kilometres southeast of Winnipeg. “I had almost 200 with the babies.”

So, after successfully adopting out more than 100 of the colourful cottontails, she posted a plea on Facebook, explaining to her 6,376 followers that she was having a hard time keeping up with the expenses and medical bills for the remaining 20.

“We are out of funds,” she wrote.

The next day, Allen, 28, was happy to pass on that she received a "ton of inquiries" and was confident she had found homes for all of her hoppy inhabitants.

Big Frieda (Facebook)

She’s naturally relieved, since rescuing and rehabilitating horses is an enormous responsibility that takes up most of her time.

“Specializing in horses is a lot of work, too, so the added bunnies was stressful.”

Still, even though rabbits have been kept as pets in Western nations since the 19th century, I wanted to know what potential adoptees should consider before adopting one as a house companion.

“Ideally, a pair is best, so they have a buddy,” she said, adding two females or a fixed male and female is best.

Also, Allen said they require a safe, enclosed space that is away from other animals that could harm them.

“They need access to space to get out and run around,” she added. “And they require fresh veggies and quality rabbit food / or hay daily.”

Oh, and like my sweet friend, Benji, who met an early demise when a neighbourhood dog chased him into traffic, they also need lots of attention and love.

Have a great week!

Leesa Dahl

This week in pet news

Time for more pet owners to give a poop where their dogs do doo-doo

The city of Toronto has announced a much-needed expansion of its 2021 dog waste pilot project: a pilot that last spring saw some city litter bins converted into dog poo exclusive receptacles. In other words, a single compartment on certain litter bins located in areas with a high concentration of dogs (parks for example) are designated for dog waste only. Or to use the city’s preferred term: poop. For some reason (maybe there’s a three-year-old on the city’s payroll?) the stickers on these bins read, “dog poop,” instead of poo or waste. Read more about it here.

A city audit of a number of street litter bins found that 45 per cent of waste in them was organic material and that 99 per cent of that was dog waste. (Toronto Star files)

A Toronto charity claimed it was sending rescue dogs to the east coast for a ‘better chance at life.’ Here’s what really happened to one of the ‘difficult’ dogs they sent away

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Mayo, a black Lab mix rescue dog, was imported from Texas in November 2020 by Redemption Paws. After a series of biting incidents, the dog was sent to Newfoundland as part of the rescue’s Dogs From Away pilot project. (Supplied)

City’s ban on pit bulls remains after 9-7 council vote

There will not be any changes to Winnipeg’s ban on pit bulls after a narrow council vote that rejected a call to end the controversial rule.

In a 9-7 vote late Thursday, a slim majority of councillors opted to keep the ban in place on owning specific breeds of dogs. Read more about it here.

Since 1990, American pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, and predominant mixes of those breeds, have not been allowed as pets in the city. (Ryan Remiorz / The Canadian Press Files)

Your dog's personality may have little to do with its breed

Research confirms what dog lovers know — every pup is truly an individual.

Many of the popular stereotypes about the behavior of golden retrievers, poodles or schnauzers, for example, aren't supported by science, according to a new study. Read more about it here.

Research released on April 28, 2022, confirms what dog lovers know - every pup is truly an individual. A new study has found that many of the popular stereotypes about the behavior of specific breeds aren’t supported by science. (Martin Meissner / Associated Press File)

Adoptable Pets

Hi. I’m Dust! I’m a very, very shy girl so you will need to be very patient with me while I get used to my new home. I love to lay with you at bedtime when the house has gone quiet. I am fully litter trained.

Dust (Supplied)

I am good with quiet dogs, but I don’t like cats or loud children (so kids over 5 years old are best) because I don’t like to play with them and they don’t necessarily understand that.

I am learning that not everything around me is scary and to come out of my shell a little.

I am a shy girl who would love to keep you company and share your space with you.

If you take a chance on me and show me patience you won’t be sorry!

We are in desperate need of foster homes for adult dogs, like the one in this photo, to get them out of the cold.

Fostering is free, we supply vet care, food, crates, treats, toys etc., and all we ask is for you to supply a warm home, basic training, and lots of love. If you’re thinking of adopting, and want to be sure a dog fits into your lifestyle, consider fostering! All the fun without the long-term commitment. We look forward to having you join our Mutts family!

Visit www.manitobamutts.org to fill out an application, or contact adopt@manitobamutts.org for more information. Manitoba Mutts Dog Rescue Inc. is a 100% foster-home based, not for profit, charitable rescue with a mission to relieve animals in distress and animals suffering from overpopulation and/or abandonment, provide for the care, maintenance, and rehabilitation of stray, abandoned, and displaced animals in Manitoba and be a leader on matters that promote and improve the welfare of all animals through enhancement, protection, care, and education.