Bunny Buddies introduced customers and onlookers to abandoned rabbits Sunday at the River Oaks Petco.’
‘Rabbits are the third-most popular pet, so they’re the third-most abandoned,’ Bunny Buddies Board President Les Wood said.
Wood said that most animal shelters do not have space for small animals. To save abandoned rabbits, Bunny Buddies provides shelter, food, spaying and neutering services, and even temporary foster homes.
Bunny Buddies foster owner Carla Porter provides temporary homes to some of the rabbits in the shelter until they are adopted. Her latest orphan is Waffles, a black rabbit that has been abandoned twice.
‘People say, ‘We just didn’t have time’ or they’re moving,’ Porter said.’
Wood said that the Bunny Buddies shelter and crew of foster owners are at maximum capacity, currently housing 40 surrendered rabbits with more on a waiting list.
However, several people were interested in giving loving homes to the homeless rabbits Sunday.
Ten minutes after the event began, Waffles was adopted by a mother with two little girls.
‘Waffles will be their second rabbit. These are experienced rabbit owners,’ Porter said as she gave Waffles one final cuddle. ‘They know what they’re getting into.’
Community junior Olivia Wade came to find a companion to share her new home.
‘I used to have (a rabbit) until I moved into the (Moody) Towers,’ Wade said. ‘I want a pet. Something that’s comforting.’
Wood said that many of the people in the organization fell in love with rabbits for their curiosity and individualistic personalities.
‘People tend to picture a rabbit in a little cage in the backyard and that’s boring, because the rabbit is probably bored to death. When you bring them inside and start playing with them, you see how they relate to you and their environment,’ Wood said. ‘They’re extremely curious. Whenever I’m working on something at home, they’re right under foot or under hand, ready to help.’
Wood said that rabbits can be trained, taught their names, and are very fond of stacking toys and food bowls, calling them ‘little architects.”
‘You can’t help but fall in love with them when you find out how intelligent and unique they are,’ Wood said.
From 2 to 5 p.m. on the second and fourth Sundays of every month, Bunny Buddies brings rabbits in search of new homes to the Petco at 2110 S. Shepherd Dr. from 2-4 p.m. on the third Sunday of each month, the group is at Citizens for Animal Protection at 11925 Katy Fwy.’
For more information on the organization and taking care of rabbits, access the Bunny Buddies Web site at www.bunnybuddies.org.
