Happy Hollands
Well-Known Member
This is a very sad story I was hoping I would never have to share.
I am only posting this to raise awareness regarding surrendering animals, not for any credit or attention. For those anxious to hear what happened, both bunnies are now doing well and rehomed.
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A little bit ago, my neighbor came to me with two bunnies she had found abandoned on the side of the highway. Thankfully, she remembered I was a breeder and was always willing to take in rescues. Although they looked in good condition from a far, they were malnourished and bloated. I'm guessing they had been dropped off within a few days or even hours of being found - they did not seem to be abused, as they were extremely trusting and hopped right over to people. I believe they are siblings based on their colorings. They look like a mixed breed, possibly Holland / Mini Lop mixed with some sort of Rex (?). They each weighed about 3 lbs - I'm guessing they are around 4 months of age based on their development.
As soon as they were in my care, I did a quick health check as usual. My heart dropped when I saw they were opposite genders, as I knew it was likely she could be pregnant. I quickly palpated her but it was hard to tell if she was just gassy or not. Both of their bellies felt pretty similar, so fingers crossed she isn't carrying babies for her sake. During their stay, I fed them gas medicine and syringe-fed them water to make sure they did not get dehydrated. They were provided with a bountiful supply of hay, and a bit of pellets too. Thankfully, they were eating and pooping fine from as soon as they got settled in. The female showed no signs of nesting / preparing for babies, and he showed no sign of mating during their stay. I kept them housed together to minimize stress, and kept a close eye on them to make sure they were not breeding.
We were debating sending them to a rescue facility, but considering all that is going on currently, most rescues are at max capacity. We reached out to some friends and family, and thankfully one of my neighbors friends was willing to take the bunnies in! She's a bunny expert, and is planning on getting them spayed / neutered as soon as possible so they can stay bonded for life ♥
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I felt it was important to share this story - bunnies are not "starter animals" and should never be abruptly abandoned (especially not on the side of the road)! If you do need to surrender your bunny, reach out to your local rescue center or friends / family first.
Being a breeder myself, I hope nothing like this would ever happen to one of the babies I raised. I know it is out of my control, but it is extremely important to screen new families before selling. How could somebody ever drop off an innocent animal and leave it to die??
Here are some pictures of the fur babies before they headed off to their new loving home - the orange one is a female, and the black tort is the male. Her ears also flop a bit when she is relaxed!
I am only posting this to raise awareness regarding surrendering animals, not for any credit or attention. For those anxious to hear what happened, both bunnies are now doing well and rehomed.
_________________________________________
A little bit ago, my neighbor came to me with two bunnies she had found abandoned on the side of the highway. Thankfully, she remembered I was a breeder and was always willing to take in rescues. Although they looked in good condition from a far, they were malnourished and bloated. I'm guessing they had been dropped off within a few days or even hours of being found - they did not seem to be abused, as they were extremely trusting and hopped right over to people. I believe they are siblings based on their colorings. They look like a mixed breed, possibly Holland / Mini Lop mixed with some sort of Rex (?). They each weighed about 3 lbs - I'm guessing they are around 4 months of age based on their development.
As soon as they were in my care, I did a quick health check as usual. My heart dropped when I saw they were opposite genders, as I knew it was likely she could be pregnant. I quickly palpated her but it was hard to tell if she was just gassy or not. Both of their bellies felt pretty similar, so fingers crossed she isn't carrying babies for her sake. During their stay, I fed them gas medicine and syringe-fed them water to make sure they did not get dehydrated. They were provided with a bountiful supply of hay, and a bit of pellets too. Thankfully, they were eating and pooping fine from as soon as they got settled in. The female showed no signs of nesting / preparing for babies, and he showed no sign of mating during their stay. I kept them housed together to minimize stress, and kept a close eye on them to make sure they were not breeding.
We were debating sending them to a rescue facility, but considering all that is going on currently, most rescues are at max capacity. We reached out to some friends and family, and thankfully one of my neighbors friends was willing to take the bunnies in! She's a bunny expert, and is planning on getting them spayed / neutered as soon as possible so they can stay bonded for life ♥
_________________________________________
I felt it was important to share this story - bunnies are not "starter animals" and should never be abruptly abandoned (especially not on the side of the road)! If you do need to surrender your bunny, reach out to your local rescue center or friends / family first.
Being a breeder myself, I hope nothing like this would ever happen to one of the babies I raised. I know it is out of my control, but it is extremely important to screen new families before selling. How could somebody ever drop off an innocent animal and leave it to die??
Here are some pictures of the fur babies before they headed off to their new loving home - the orange one is a female, and the black tort is the male. Her ears also flop a bit when she is relaxed!
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