Caring for abandoned rabbits and wildlife across North Texas

Have you ever wondered what happens to all those adorable little baby cottontails you bring us?  Well, we have a new answer for you.

Clayton Boyd, with Boyd Brothers Contracting, has graciously offered us the opportunity to reintroduce the cottontail population on his land north of Lake Ray Roberts.  Clayton is actively relocating the predator population on his 110 acres in order to create a safe haven for cottontails, deer, and other prey species native to the north Texas area.

Clayton began helping us release cottontails there late last summer, and continues to see last year’s cottontails thriving on his property.  The acreage backs up to Lake Ray Roberts and features dry creek beds, oak forests, ponds, high grass, shade, sunny open pastures, and the most perfect camouflage.  Everything a cottontail could want in a new home, safely away from domestic cats bringing them to a doorstep, dogs treating them as squeaky toys, children playing toss with them on a playground, pool skimmers to get stuck in, and ever-present automobiles.  (Yes, we truly see it all in rescue.)

Sharing Clayton’s 110 acres is a small herd of watussi, cattle, and by far the sweetest brahma you will ever meet.  Here’s Diana sitting atop him, Clayton on his side, and the brahma soaking up all the love and attention.

We are proud to have Clayton as a partner in the release of native wildlife to protected land where they can be safely reintroduced where they once roamed freely.  Our thanks go to Clayton Boyd for the excellent release site, and especially to all of you, who have helped these wild babies get a new lease on life.  Thank you.

This weekend is North Texas Irish Festival, where each year, we and the bunnies set up a booth alongside many other animal rescue organizations.  We help get the word out about adopting and rescuing animals instead of buying them, the joys of having house rabbits as companion animals, and of course we showcase some of the spectacular rabbits we have for adoption!  In addition to all of the animal rescue groups,  Irish Fest features lots of live music, arts & crafts vendors, and of course lots of amazing food and frosty beverages!  We have a great time each year, and everybody who comes by loves seeing the bunnies!

This year we are offering a chance to win 2 weekend passes to North Texas Irish Festival, courtesy of your friends at WildRescue!  All we ask is a $5 donation through PayPal and you’re entered to win!  PayPal is available on our website (look up and to your right), and if you don’t have a PayPal account already, you can donate with a credit card just as easily through the same link.  Any donation $5 or larger between today, February 28th, and Friday, March 4th, will be entered to win!  Winners will be chosen by a random number generator and will be alerted by the email address given by the PayPal transaction.

All donations this week, including those for the NTIF tickets, go toward the purchase of formula for this year’s batch of baby Eastern cottontails.  We already have taken in over a dozen, and it’s not even the end of February!  It’s going to be a busy baby season, which means we’ll go through a lot of formula.  All donations, large or small, are hugely appreciated!

For more information about North Texas Irish Festival, please visit their website at www.ntif.org.

Happy Chinese New Year!  2011 is the Year of the Rabbit, and we couldn’t be more pleased to celebrate it.  February 3rd marks the first day of the Chinese New Year, so mark your calendars for 365 days of celebrating the rabbit.  Your long-eared companions I’m sure wouldn’t mind helping you celebrate in style.  Perhaps a little something extra in their treat dishes?

In addition to February ringing in this nose-wiggling occasion, did you know that February is also National Adopt A Rabbit Month?  Yes, there is such a thing, and just our luck — the Petco stores in our area know it too!

February 12th and 13th, Petco is holding its Meet the Critter event, with this event’s critter, naturally, being rabbits.  We have been invited to be at close to 20 Petco stores in the DFW metroplex for this event, bunnies in tow, with informational flyers on how to handle, care for, and adopt a rabbit.  Won’t you come join us and meet some of the wonderful rabbits we have up for adoption?  We will be at the following stores on Saturday, February 12th, between the hours of 12:00  noon and 3:00 pm — click the name of the store to open it up in Google Maps:

Denton
Lewisville
Highland Village
Grapevine
Fort Worth
Mansfield
Cedar Hill
Frisco
Plano North
Casa Linda
Allen
Plano West
Plano
Sherman
Longview
Firewheel
Prestonwood

With the coming of this event, we have been asked to house our adoptable rabbits in some additional Petco stores as well!  We now have rabbits on display for adoption through Rabbit Rescue at Denton, Highland Village, Lewisville, Grapevine, Forth Worth, Mansfield, and Cedar Hill!  The  more chances these bunnies get to be seen, the better, and Petco has done a fantastic job at helping us get our rabbits into wonderful homes!

As a part of this Meet the Rabbit event, Petco is asking rabbit adopters to share their adoption stories on their website.  We would so love it if those of you who have adopted a rabbit, whether from us or from anywhere else, would go on there and share with everybody the joys of rescuing a pet, living with a house rabbit, ecstatic binkies of joy, and every other wonderful moment that comes with sharing your home with a rabbit.  And when you’re done, copy and paste that story — and pictures!!! — into an email to us.  We would love to post your stories on our website!

So come join us on February 12th and 13th at your local Petco.  Bring your family, bring your friends, bring your own rabbit, and tell everybody to adopt a rabbit, and love somebunny!

By now we hope that everyone has received our annual Holiday Letter…. Though we admittedly were late getting it out this year, and still have a few left to send!  Here it is on the web for those of you who may not yet have received it, or would like to share it with others.  A downloadable and printable PDF is available at the link below, and the text of the letter follows.  Thank you to all who participated in our operation in 2010.  We could not have done it all without you!

Click here to download the 2010 Holiday Letter as a PDF

Time flies when you are having fun – and has time flown this year! Between helping the SPCA of Texas with the US Global Exotics seizure of over 27,000 animals, to having an intake of over 700 orphaned cottontails, to having more than 200 rabbits enter our facility and leave with new homes; well, you can see what I mean. Let me elaborate just a little…

Partnering with the SPCA of Texas

In January we got the call that more than 27,000 animals were in need of rescuing due to an appalling animal cruelty case in Arlington. As a partner of the SPCA of Texas, we helped place almost 400 hamsters, snakes, lizards, frogs, and all kinds of other creatures in dire need of help. We are so proud to have been able to assist in this endeavor! Thank you to all of our volunteers who braved the snow to rescue them, and moved heaven and earth to make sure their stay at the Rescue was as comfortable as possible until their adoption.

Bunny Buddies of Houston

In spring we received a note from Bunny Buddies, our friends in Houston, that many of their rabbits (almost all already spayed/neutered) needed to be transfered to other rescues. There was no more room in their foster program, so we offered assistance. We met in Fairfield, Texas, and drove home with 27 beautiful and oh, so well-cared-for house bunnies! And can you believe, only 3 of them are still waiting for homes!

Wildlife

Once again it was simply unbelievable the number of cottontails that came to us. Most were nest- nabbed, orphaned or injured, and we did our best to help each and every one. I don’t think we slept most of the spring and summer, as phone call after phone call demanded our attention. I think I chanted, “Just Leave Them Alone”, in my sleep more than once.

Petco Adoption Partners

What an amazing opportunity it has been to partner with local Petco stores to get great new homes for more bunnies! In total, we have adopted out close to 200 nose-wiggling, whisker-twitching buns this last year, 35 of which have been from the Petco stores!! A huge thank-you goes to our partnering Petco stores – Denton, Prestonwood, Arlington, Grapevine, Highland Village, Cedar Hill and Mansfield. We have accomplished something truly major and wonderful! The staff help carefully screen prospective bunny parents, consult with us when necessary, and voila! Bunnies are matched with wonderful and loving families. We couldn’t be happier, and the bunnies thump their approval!

Our Veterinarians

We certainly could not do this without you. Our outstanding vets have put up with us (especially me), spayed/neutered, fixed broken bones, met us after hours, acted as a drop-off point for wildlife, you name it. Thank-yous are just never enough for our dear Dr. Patty Weber, Dr. Pam Henrichs, Dr. Elizabeth Rogers, and our “new kid on the block,” Dr. Kyle Jones!

Our Volunteers

What would I do without you?!!! Thank you to our Lindsay, Jessica, Savannah, Bridget, Lindsey & Whitney, Melissa, Caroline, Mel, Jaimie, Karen, Kelsey, Steven & Daphne, Sarah, Kathy & Wayne, Meghan, Sharry & Dean, Rick, DeDe…(Who did I forget?) And a huge welcome to Cathy, our new and wonderful foster mom!! You all have made it an incredible year and I can’t believe you are actually excited about continuing our work next year!!

In Loving Memory

We have lost some precious lights this last year – they crossed the Rainbow Bridge far too soon, and we will miss them so very much.

• Boo • Gabby • Gawain • Mr. Sleepy • Oscar • Roslyn • Samson • Sterling • Tatters •

Our work here is never done: The dishes pile up in the sink, laundry soon appears daunting, and afternoon naps are just a sweet memory, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. We help over 1,000 animals each year in one way, shape or form. We answer as many phone calls and emails (God bless you Lindsay!!!) as humanly possible. Of course we need more volunteers, and of course we need more funds. The work we do is fueled by kind hearts and loving hands. The animals that come to us are welcomed with grace and knowledge. If you brought us an animal or adopted from us – then a huge thank you goes to you. If you would like to become a part of our rescue family, you would be so welcome.

It is with God’s grace that we continue this important work, and it is with our friends that we can accomplish what we set out to do. Though we dearly know this economy is hard for all of us, please consider donating. Paypal is right on our website for processing credit cards. A self-addressed, stamped envelope is enclosed for your convenience. And think of us throughout the year, not just at Christmas! Check in with us to see what we are up to. Tell your friends. Help us fundraise. But above all, THANK YOU for helping the animals. We, and they, could not do it without you.

Happy holidays, and have a wonderful and “hoppy” New Year!!! With love,

Diana

Visit us on the web at www.rescuedrabbits.org
Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wildrescueinc
Come visit us at Irist Fest in March!

Autumn is a great time for the rabbits at WildRescue, because it means they get lots and lots of leaves to play in! Enjoy a few photos of some adorable, adoptable bunnies in the girls’ yard at the Rescue.

Bernice buries her head in the leaves to pick just the right one to eat

Sandy poses for a photo between binkies in the leaves

A few Californians claim half a pile for themselves

Jenny “chins” all over Lindsay’s hand, claiming her for her own

Mila gives the camera a quick glance between munches

Sugar waits patiently for her photo to be taken

Cole and Marley snuggle on top of a carrier