In order to start the new year with a bang  (or a hop, as luck would have it), it seems that IDA’s Guardian Campaign Director, Anita Carswell, was fated to rescue and become the guardian of yet another rabbit, along with her partner, IDA’s all purpose fix-it and build-it man, Brendan Montgomerie.

The call came in on the cold and windy second evening of the new year.  A very small domestic rabbit was spotted by mutual friends who were walking their dogs on part of the grassy field surrounding one of the marinas in Richmond, California. With only a carrier in hand, Anita looked beneath the car the rabbit had hopped under. Brendan went around to the other side, and in a sheer moment of bunny magic, the rabbit ran up to him and licked both his hands. It was an instant later that she was in the carrier and brought home under the watchful eyes of Anita and Brendan’s previously rescued rabbits, Azalea and Everest.

The next day, Buttercup was checked out by wonderful staff members of House Rabbit Society (HRS) in Richmond. She had a severe case of ear mites and was underweight and starving. Because rabbits are the third most frequently killed animals at shelters, and rabbit rescue groups are always overflowing with unwanted rabbits, there was no option of leaving her there or with any other rabbit rescue group. HRS staff confirmed they’d gotten calls informing them about a van that anonymously dumped a group of similar-looking domestic rabbits at that Richmond marina a couple of weeks before.

Anita asked the two local rabbit rescues about any related rabbits who may have ended up in local shelters, because reuniting Buttercup with a family member or friend would have been ideal, but had no luck locating any of them. The others were most likely victims of predators or city perils. Buttercup seemed to be the sole survivor of a horribly traumatic ordeal.

Lucky Buttercup immediately had her ear mites treated, was built a special habitat, and was spayed in anticipation of the day when she could have a bunny boyfriend adopted from another local rabbit rescue, Rabbit Ears. Rabbits are much happier in pairs or small groups, so adopting a partner for her once her stitches heal from spaying will be the next step.

If you would like to help IDA with the costs associated with her rescue, kindly donate here, or send a check made out to IDA, Attention Anita/Rabbit Rescue/HAS, 3010 Kerner Blvd., San Rafael, CA 94901.

Any funds donated in excess of the cost of her spaying surgery, housing material costs, and friend adoption fees will be used to help with the veterinary and rescue costs recently incurred at Hope Animal Sanctuary.

Thanks so very much for caring. For more information, or to make sure your online donation is credited to this effort, please email anita@idausa.org.