Here are their stories:

The Professor – is a male, lionhead mix. He was surrendered to Austin Animal Center in early December with his left hind leg broken and an abscess on his heel. The infection had already compromised the bone and it was so painful that he would not put any weight on it. Amputation of the limb was performed on Dec 29th 2011. Medications for pain and infection were given and after 5 days he was well enough to start running again. He does great on just his 3 legs and has made a remarkable recovery.

Baby Jet – was 9 ozs when she was a dropped off as a stray to the Austin Animal Center on Jan 14th. She was very frightened and had abscesses on her nose and behind her ear, probably caused by a cat. She had managed to survive for 4 days without treatment. She has required around the clock attention for medication, wound cleaning and monitoring as the medications she is on can affect her eating. After being in HRRNs care for 10 days she had doubled her weight! She is receiving on going daily treatment for her wounds.
On Feb 17th during her weekly visit to the vet an abscessed area on her hind right leg was found. The infection was removed, and now this also needs attention. Rabbits have a tendency to get abscesses in areas unrelated to the original injury. Her weekly vet checkups will help us identify problem areas and get her the treatment she needs.

We’d also like to mention our long term buns that receive medications on a daily basis:
Currently we have:
Eye Meds – Jaci, Pumpkin, Charlie, Sprockett and Freebird
Head Tilt – Dusty, Sable and Cassie

All our rabbits were treated at White Rock Vet, under the care of Dr Todd Riggan and his excellent staff.

By Mary Lempert, founder and manager of The Rabbit Advocate
February is Adopt-A-Rescued Rabbit Month, and, in honor of it, these are my top 10 reasons rescued rabbits make great pets:

1.Rabbits are the perfect pets for those who may not have time for daily walks, but still seek the social quality of a dog-like companion. And, like cats, rabbits can be litter box trained very easily. Best of both worlds!

2.Many people who are allergic to dogs and cats may not be allergic to rabbits.

3.Rabbits are uniquely talented comedians. Binkies (little hop-spins and kicks they do when they’re happy), bunny flops (flopping over and playing dead) and bunny 500s (think the Indy 500, but with bunnies) are just some of the quirky and amusing habits of the house bunny.

4.Rabbit schedules match up with people schedules. Our furry friends are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk, which corresponds wel l w ith the times most of us are starting our day or getting home from work and ready for some couch snuggling or binky watching.

5.Rabbits help you get healthy. As herbivores, rabbits mesh wel l w ith vegetarian and vegan lifestyles. Generally speaking, though, having a pet who encourages you to stock your fridge with fruits and vegetables is good for everybody — vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

6.Rabbits make great pets for city dwellers. They happily stay in large cages or puppy pens during the day when you’re gone and love to come out to romp around in rabbit-proofed rooms when you’re home.

7.Rabbits have long lifespans compared to other small animals. They can live 10-12 years or more if provided with a proper diet and care.

8.Rabbits are heroic. In the wild, rabbits communicate with each other about perceived dangers by thumping their back legs; astute house bunnies will provide you with a similar security system. Who needs a German Shepherd when you can have a fierce guard bunny? (Clearly I’m joking on this one, but there are many stories of rabbits alerting their people to danger. In 2008, an Australian pet rabbit alerted his people to a house fire in the middle of the night and undoubtedly saved their lives. The lesson — never underestimate a bunny!) (Read our blog post: Hero bunny saves his family.)

9.Rabbits are great listeners (just look at those ears!). They also make excellent snugglers with their extra-soft fur and loving nature. What more could you ask for from a friend?

10.Rabbits need homes too. Perhaps one of the best reasons to adopt a bunny is that there are so many waiting for forever homes. In fact, after dogs and cats, rabbits are the third most abundant adoptable pet, with more than 5,500 listed for adoption on Petfinder. Search Petfinder to find some bunnies at a shelter or rescue group near you!
Mary Lempert is the founder and manager of The Rabbit Advocate. She has served as a rabbit behavior and rehabilitation consultant for the House Rabbit Society, House Rabbit Network and the MSPCA in Massachusetts and, most recently, for the Almost Home Humane Society in Lafayette , IN. She lives in West Lafayette , IN , with her rabbits Graysie and Willoughby and any number of foster bunnies.

Neutering a rabbit is the best gift you can give him. Neutering helps to prevent certain health issues and will make him a better companion. We would like to thank all of those who donated to the “Spay and Neuter Campaign”. With your donations, we were able to spay and neuter 5 rabbits.

PRESENTS THE AUSTIN PREMIER OF

Winner of  Pearl Award – International Family Film Festival (given to the film that “best exemplifies the purity of the family bond”)Saturday, November 5, 2011 @ 10:30 am Regal Arbor Cinema 9828 Great Hills Trail, Austin TX 78759 Also:Photos with Santa & The Christmas Bunny ,Sponsor a Bunny Tree. Proceeds benefit House Rabbit Resource Network, a 501(c)(3) organization rescuing and re-homing abandoned rabbits.

 
The Christmas Bunny Movie Trailer:

You can purchase your copy of the movie from the HRRN Bunny Boutique

The 2006 voter-approved $12 million facility has 41,400 square feet and will shift current animal services operations five miles east of the old Town Lake Animal Center that opened in 1952. The City is negotiating a license agreement with the non-profit animal rescue group Austin Pets Alive to temporarily operate City animal adoptions from the Town Lake facility at 1156 W. Cesar Chavez St.

The new location includes expanded and modernized veterinary facilities, improved adoption and customer service areas, larger and more flexible spaces for housing animals, and a large multi-purpose space to provide training and outreach programs, all in a well designed, and environmentally-conscious facility.

“It remains our goal to place all adoptable animals in permanent homes and this new center will help us continue to reach that goal,” Chief Animal Services Officer Abigail Smith said. “The City’s new Animal Center provides a cleaner, safer and an overall healthier environment for the animals, as well as pleasant setting for human visitors, and that means more homeless animals will be saved.”

Artist Brad Goldberg created a 30-foot diameter low limestone spiral of sculptural seating enveloping the walkway to the main entrance of the Animal Center as the Art in Public Places feature of the site. The arcs of the spiral pay homage to the architectural and cultural history of the property, which was once home to the segregated Texas Blind, Deaf and Orphan School.

The 2-foot diameter granite disks are embedded in the paving with sandblasted imagery that traces the history of the site from its earliest geologic origins of being a shallow sea to more recent history that constitutes this neighborhood’s memory.

The project was managed by the City of Austin’s Public Works Department. The architect for the project was Jackson Ryan Architects and the main contractor was VCC. The new Animal Center will be a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certified.

Contact: Patricia Fraga, Communications and Public Information
(512) 972-2969, patricia.fraga@ci.austin.tx.us
Communications and Public Information Office (512) 974-2220

When: February. 18, 2012 from 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
Where: Austin Animal Center 7201 Levander Loop Austin, TX.

Entrance Fee Required. HRRN members fees are $15.00 for the first rabbit and $12.00 for each additional rabbit. Non-members fees are $17.00 for the first rabbit and $15.00 for each additional rabbit.

We highly recommend bringing your rabbit/rabbits for grooming and advice.This is a great opportunity to meet other rabbit people if you are new to HRRN. We’ll have supplies and other goodies for sale as usual. Refreshments for you and Buntanicals for the buns, of course! Look forward to seeing you there!

Getting to the new Austin Animal Center can be confusing, as the new signage is limited. We strongly suggest you use Mapquest or Google Maps to get an idea of where you’re going from your address. Below are some basic instructions.

Coming from South Austin or Dripping Springs area:
Take US 290E. towards the airport
After passing thru the light at Riverside Drive look for the exit to 183 South on the right
Loop around and under 290 E onto 183 S.
Cross the bridge over the river. Follow the Airport Blvd. sign
At first light after the bridge on Airport turn right onto Levander Loop
Look for signs to 7201 Levander Loop on the left, turn through gate.
Entrance to the shelter will be around the building to the left.
Meeting room is inside the double doors on the left.

Coming from North Austin on Mopac:
Take Mopac South
Exit at 5th St/Cesar Chavez
Take the 5th St. ramp.
Continue on East on 5th St.
Turn left on Red River.
Turn right on 7th Street.
Continue east on 7th over I-35
Be looking for Levander Loop on the left and a small sign just before the road starts up and turns into 183
Turn left. Follow the road around to the first light at Airport.
Go thru the light, crossing Airport Blvd.
Look for signs to 7201 Levander Loop on the left, turn through gate.
Entrance to the shelter will be around the building to the left.
Meeting room is inside the double doors on the left.

Using I-35:
From either north or south I-35, exit 183 South
Take Bolm Road exit.
Continue straight through light at Bolm Road.
Keep in the right hand lane, this turns into Levander Loop.
As the road curves to the right the entrance will be on your right.
Turn right through the gate into 7201 Levander Loop
Entrance to the shelter will be around the building to the left.
Meeting room is inside the double doors on the left.

Join us July 4 from 9-11 am at Northwest Hills
Bring your buns and join us as we muster up another “21 Bun Salute” entry in the 2011 Northwest Austin Civic Association’s 4th of July Parade. We’ve been invited back to the North West Hills neighborhood parade location! This parade ends at Doss Elementary School where we’ll have our HRRN information table and pens set up to relax and enjoy the festivities under a tent. This association is hoping to have us join them again this year! They said we were the highlight of the parade last year and they intend to use photos to promote their parade!
So…find a pet stroller or borrow a child’s wagon and decorate your rabbit ride.
These 4th of July parades are tons of fun and we’d love to show this neighborhood that bunnies are the coolest pets around! We’re hoping for 21 (or more) HRRN rabbits and their owners to come out for this event! Start collecting your decorations now!
See flyer (PDF) for details.

We asked our Facebook Fans to post their cutest bunny/bunnies photos on our Facebook wall. The photo that generated the most likes was placed on this Wanted Poster. Jazzy chilling out in a Cool Whip bowl is The Winner of the Cutest Bunny Contest – posted by Mark Wood. Summer in Texas can be brutal and Jazzy showed us all a new way to keep cool. We apprecated and enjoyed everyone’s bunny/bunnies photos. Every bunny is cute and adorable in our eyes. We can’t “Thank all our facebook fans” enough for following HRRN. It is never to late to “like” House Rabbit Resource Network!