# Maryland: Beautiful Rabbits for Adoption: KILL SHELTER



## Strongheart (Jan 5, 2008)

These rabbits are available for adoption at Frederick County Animal Control in Frederick, Maryland. Please contact [email protected] for more info and how to adopt.

*OUT OF COUNTY AND OUT OF STATE ADOPTIONS WELCOME*

CARMELLA





Carmella is a brave, stalwart young female rabbit who has adjusted well to life in the shelter. She would love for you to come in and meet her and see how sweet she is. She likes living in the shelter, it is probably the first time she has been fed regularly and been able to depend on humans. If she likes living here, she would LOVE a home with a lot of hustle and bustle where she can happily watch her family come and go and interact with them too. She likes people and children 10 years or older. One of the young shelter volunteers describes her as a 'teddy bear bunny.' She will make some lucky family a wonderful bunny friend.

She has a prodigious dewlap, or folds of fat, under her chin and this is due to being fed an improper diet way too high in fat. She should stay on her current diet of 90% hay, 5% pellets and 5% veggies (carrots and dark leaf lettuces). She should be trimming down nicely soon. She is spayed. We're very worried about whether she will get adopted or not! Please consider this special girl with a heart of gold!

TRISHA




Trisha is a young, medium-sized English Spot rabbit who is just unbelievably graceful and beautiful. She will be spayed very soon and this will help ease her anxiousness about nesting and getting attached to her litterbox. Female rabbits do not like to have their resting places disturbed and become very attached to their space. Trisha was spayed on 12/27/07.

She just has a certain way she would like to be treated and being so beautiful, it's easy to understand that she feels she deserves this. All she wants is to be treated like a lady and in a gentle, calm manner. When she receives this kind, gentle treatment, she might act a little coy, always seeking to be spoiled just a little bit more. It's all part of the sweetheart conspiracy that beautiful rabbits seem to be plotting all the time. If you're a confident person, they usually can't get away with too much of this but if you have any bit of a pushover in you, then she might just take over things and get what she wants all the time. What she should get regardless is a diet of about 90% hay, 5% pellets and 5% veggies. And have her litterbox changed every couple of days and to be talked to in soft, loving tones and greeted with gentle pets and definitely tell her how pretty she is all the time. And that's pretty easy to do. Trisha is a medium-sized girl and so her lifespan is about 10-12 years. She would love to live in a nice, quiet home with someone who can appreciate her and spoil her. There is something magical about having a rabbit about the house and you could one of the privileged ones to find out why. Won't you come in a rescue Trisha today? She cannot stay in the shelter and she needs to be adopted soon.

THUNDER




Thunder is a wonderful little Netherland dwarf boy who was found with his brother, Storm, when someone moved into their new home. The previous occupants had just moved out and left these two rabbit babies to fend for themselves. This caring person tried for 2 months to rehome the babies with no success.

Thunder is a funny guy and since he's so young, his personality is still developing but he is already sweet and friendly. He was housed at first with his brother but then they started fighting, which is normal for 2 unneutered male rabbits to do. So they were separated and now each seeks out human contact and enjoys it. Thunder is inquisitive and interested in people. He stands up on his hind legs as if to ask 'did you bring me some lettuces and carrots today?' which I often do bring him. But mostly, his diet should be just hay, with a bit of pellets and then some veggies. When he stands up like this, he is showing what an outgoing and nice bunnyman he is going to grow into, not to mention, a cutie pie!

Thunder would love a home with older children who can control themselves. Dwarves do not make good pets for very young children (nor does any size of rabbit) but for a family with reasonably calm and responsible kids, they would fit in well. He also shouldn't be kept in a house with dogs as dwarves are often very scared of dogs and if not, then they should be but might not have the ego a tiny rabbit should and place themselves in danger because they think they are 'big.'

Thunder is neutered and he has taken to his litterbox training very well. Rabbits should never be kept in wire-bottomed cages as this can cause many medical problems and poor habits plus it is very uncomfortable.

Thunder has a lot of potential to make a very nice pet so come in and learn the charms of a Netherland dwarf bunny. If you have children, please be sure they are not allergic to hay or rabbits first.

STORM




Storm is about a 4 month old Netherland dwarf baby who was found abandoned in a house when a new occupant moved in. This caring person tried for 2 months to rehome the babies with no success.

Storm is a great guy! He is a handsome little fella and would thrive in a stable, quiet environment. Storm has one brown eye and one blue eye. Right now he is still a bit scared of his environment because he is kept in the puppy room but after a few more servings of dark lettuces and carrots, which, in addition to his normal diet of 90% and 5% pellets, is the ideal rabbit diet, he should start opening up and gaining confidence. Good quality care always does that.

Storm is neutered and he is taking to his litterbox training very well. He would make a wonderful companion for an apartment dweller or someone leading a stable, quiet lifestyle who would like to be charmed by the charmers of the rabbit world, a little Netherland dwarf gentleman. This charming breed is inquisitive and adventurous, does not like dogs, however, (with the exception of Lassie maybe) but would get along great with cats! Rabbits always tend to dominate over cats in their environment and each species is highly compatible (with the exception of a very large feral cat).

Storm is waiting patiently for someone to come and scoop him up and make all his worries go away and give him treats every day, such as a single slice of apple or banana, or some cranberries. Yum! That is the secret to winning the heart and mind of anyone! Yummy stuff! Storm responds well to the proper kind of approach, which is just slow-moving, calm and ultra-gentle hands. Storm would probably not like very young children but might enjoy the company of a serious older child. However, an adult should always be his primary caretaker. Storm's life expectancy, being such a small bunny, is 10-15 years so he is a long term commitment. Storm is developing a great and gregarious personality and just needs a little help from you so he doesn't have to grow up in the shelter atmosphere, listening to crying puppies all day and wondering if he will be OK. Please come in to meet him and reassure him that there is a lifetime of happiness and longevity awaiting him. Come in NOW! What are you waiting for?

CALYPSO





_"me wanna go home"
_
Calypso has been on a journey for all of his three years now. He has been passed from child to child with little regard for his well-being, the last home only keeping him for a very short while before bringing him to the shelter. Now he is cared for regularly, probably for the first time in his life. He seems to know it and although he has been treated like a 'musical bunny' he is still sweet and loving.

Calypso is a small bunny, a Holland lop, which is a small breed. He weighs only about 4 pounds. He should not be cared for by a child again and he should have the privilege of being treated, for once, as a member of the family which he means he won't lose his home and he will be given medical treatment when necessary. He is perfectly healthy though despite his weary travels.

Calypso needs a loving home where he will enjoy a diet of about 90% hay and so those in the home should determine ahead of time if they are allergic to either hay or rabbits. Pellets should only be about 5% of the diet, really only as a nutritional supplement and the rest of the diet should be veggies. Calypso will thrive on this and be able to enjoy his full life expectancy of about another 7 years.

Do you have a place in your home for this sweet, little man to live out his days in quiet happiness?

*ADOPTION FEE: $15.00 + $35.00* for spaying/neutering (all but Calypso are already altered).

Rabbit adopters will need to purchase cage, an exercise pen and other supplies prior to adoption from a supplier of their choice. We provide a list of veterinarians skilled in rabbit care and ongoing support for new house rabbit caretakers. A rabbit is a wonderful friend. Please adopt.

Please be sure you and your entire family are not allergic to hay or rabbits before considering adopting one. Buy a big bag of hay and handle it daily, keep it in your living area. Visit the shelter and handle the rabbits for a realistic expectation of what rabbits are like.

Children under 10 are not suitable companions or caretakers for rabbits. Rabbits defend themselves and can bite and kick if mishandled. Adult supervision is always required and adults must want the pet for themselves because children lose interest (so do adults). Plan for a rabbit to live 10-15 years and to cost about $500 a year for expenses including qualified veterinary care. These are living beings, they cost money, have feelings, are intelligent and require loving care. They are not toys or accessories, they are sentient creatures. Plan accordlingly please.


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## Strongheart (Jan 13, 2008)

*OUT OF COUNTY AND OUT OF STATE ADOPTIONS ARE WELCOME.*

The adopter must come to the shelter regardless. Transports, so far, are not allowed. The shelter requires the potential adopter to come to the shelter and meet the animal.

One lady drove all the way from Pittsburgh to Frederick, MD to adopt a bunny. One man drove all the way from Boston, MA to MD to adopt a dog.

Please contact [email protected] if you think you can adopt one of these beautiful bunnies.

*THANK YOU!*


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## Strongheart (Jan 13, 2008)

*VIDEOS* of these rabbits are also available at:
http://tinyurl.com/ynqyb5


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## Haley (Jan 14, 2008)

Great job posting the pictures and personalities. They are all such beautiful rabbits.

I wonder, if there was someone out of state interested, would it be possible for you or someone local to officially adopt them and then we could arrange transport? 

Im just thinking if it were an emergency and the person wasnt located in the area or didnt have the means to make the trip to the shelter.


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## Strongheart (Jan 14, 2008)

The only way to get them out without someone adopting them is to have an approved rescue pull them.

Currently the policy is the adopter must come to get the animal. We have too many Class B dealers in the area due to all the research facilities within only a mile or two so the shelter is very cautious about how they release animals. Frankly, I'm with them 100% on that.

So a rescue could pull them ($35 pull fee for the altering). I am going to inquire about the type of transport you mention, but as of now, it is against their policy. A rescue would have to pull them. I have notified all the local rabbit rescues on how to become approved rescues for this shelter but so far, none have complied.


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## Strongheart (Jan 15, 2008)

I verified with the shelter today that the only way to release rabbits is to approved adopters who must come in person to the shelter to adopt (we had one lady drive 3.5 hours to adopt a rabbit recently) or to be pulled by an approved rescue. 

However, I don't believe there will be a 'pull fee' for local rescues. It is not really that hard to become an approved rescue through this shelter but for whatever reason, I cannot imagine, none of the local rescues have stepped up. Only Friends of Rabbits is approved so far and they have just taken 8 recently so I'm sure they can't take any more right now. 

Another rabbit came in today so we are at capacity. Rabbits come in regularly so the situation will become dire very soon.

These beautiful bunnies need homes! Please urge your local rescues to work with the shelter to get them out or come adopt one yourself!

Thank you.


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