House Rabbits at the Great Lakes Rabbit Sanctuary (MI)

A bunch of large ears dancing along wire cages greet visitors as they step over the common floor-items residing in a barn. There are many types of barns, and the residence is on a gorgeous amount of land. Hay, among other things, is splayed under the visitor’s feet as they touch the creatures’ ears cautiously. The things in the cages don’t really make sounds, except for the occasional grunt for food. They are cute and seemingly cuddly. Each critter has a different personality and their attitudes vary as much as their coloring. The air is adrift with a mixture of timothy hay and waste; although it is cleaned regularly, the smell really can’t be helped. The temperature is comparatively the same as outside, though it’s controlled by concerning hands. The Great Lakes Rabbit Sanctuary (GLRS) is home to hundreds of rabbits either looking for homes or adapting to human hands.

Imagine if your family suddenly took you to a strange place and dropped you off, never to be heard from again. Would you feel sad? Confused? Would you trust the next family that took you in? Believe it or not, this is how many of the rabbits at the Sanctuary act when they first arrive. Located in Willis, MI, Great Lakes Rabbit Sanctuary provides a safe haven for bunnies all across the country. Not only does GLRS find permanent abodes for the rabbits, but they also “socialize” them, or help them to trust humans again. Socializing is driven completely by volunteers. Rabbit lovers, frequent visitors, or people just curious about rabbits perform simple activities to help the rabbit’s basically trust humans again. These activities can vary from picking up the rabbits and carrying them, to simply giving them a treat from a human’s hand. The different personalities of the rabbits can vary widely, which is why socializing can be very important. Being a no-kill rescue, GLRS works with even the shyest rabbit, to bring out the personalities that make rabbits such great pets. Shy rabbits are harder to adopt out because people want an interactive pet. This is how many of the rabbits end up at GLRS; if they don’t trust humans, their true colors won’t show, and the funny, cute, amazing attributes of a pet rabbit are never seen. Another reason people surrender their rabbits is because of impulse-buying at Easter time.

So it’s Easter; spring is in the air, and fluffy bunnies are being sold at the local pet store. You, or your kid, just have to have one. They’re cuddly and soft, right? As most people learn, most rabbits are not cuddly creatures, and when they hit puberty they can even become mean without neutering. So when Fluffy bites and grunts, she is often surrendered to places like GLRS, or-worse-set free. Great Lakes Rabbit Sanctuary takes in as many as they can, but with space limited, they try to inform the public about the dangers of Easter rabbits. They participate in “Make Mine Chocolate,” a movement to buy chocolate bunnies instead of breathing ones. President of GLRS, Tim Patino, says, “Easter is very difficult holiday for us at the sanctuary. As ambassador for the rabbits we always say they are such great pets and promote adoptions. [They are] very curious, entertaining, social creatures that will enrich your lives. But at Easter we try to discourage the impulse purchase or adoption by saying they are a lot of work and a ten to twelve year commitment. People see rabbits on TV and all sorts of other media during this season and think they want one. When the newness wears off and the rabbit is no longer a baby, people commonly will want to get rid of them. Some will find organizations like the humane society or shelters like ours, but many see it fit to just release into the wild. [Maybe it’s] because they see wild bunnies all the time? Domesticated rabbits do not have the instinct to survive on their own and most likely will be killed within two weeks by a dog or cat. Pet adoption should never be an impulse and proper research needs to be made before doing so. If you really need a bunny at Easter make it a chocolate one.” GLRS also shows how hard it can be to take care of a rabbit. “Our current educational efforts include teaching our free class, ‘Bunny Basics,’ to new and prospective rabbit caregivers, distributing our Bunny Basics pamphlet free of charge, and participating in educational and adoption events that give us the opportunity to discuss rabbit care and behavior with the public” (rabbitsanctuary.com). When a call comes about surrendering a rabbit, GLRS does everything they can to help the situation so that Bunny and Family can have the life they both want. “…we try to find out why in an effort to help them keep the rabbit – sometimes people just need a lesson on “bunny proofing” their house, or an explanation of rabbit behavior and a referral to a veterinarian for spay or neuter surgery…our hope is that our educational efforts will mean fewer rabbits will be in need of sanctuary in the future” (rabbitsanctuary.com). When special cases occur, GLRS will occasionally take in other animals.

In 1995, GLRS was known as “PigHoppers.” Its focus was to rescue pot-bellied pigs when the trend of “micro-pigs” spread throughout the country. They also took in rabbits and cats that needed homes. As the trend ended, PigHoppers changed its name and focus in 2003. Today, GLRS still has many cats and pigs living in the barns close to the rabbits. In fact, in February 2011, four baby pot-belly pigs were added to the GLRS family. The pigs aren’t adopted out, but they live a happy and fulfilled life at GLRS.

Great Lakes Rabbit Sanctuary is a safe haven for rabbits, pigs, and cats alike. Since 1995, GLRS has provided countless homes for animals, as well as helping their personalities shine. With all of the needy animals in residence, and the abundance of dedicated volunteers at the Sanctuary, none of the animals are ever given a chance to feel alone again.


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