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How
can I help?
Fostering
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Rabbits are all too often
rescued from situations of abuse and neglect, and some need more special
care and attention in order to make a successful transition in an adoptive
home. Spending time in a loving foster home can make all the difference!
To foster, you must have:
- Adequate room for a rabbit
to exercise
- Time to groom, love, and
cuddle a needy rabbit
- Volunteer status at HRR
- Experience in care and
handling of rabbits
Before you foster, we ask
that you visit us for orientation. Orientation and volunteering let
you get to know the rabbits, and give us the opportunity to know how
we may help you in fostering. The amount of time you volunteer depends
on the level of experience you already have in living with rabbits.
Heartland provides guidance, medical care, food and supplies to fosterers.
Fostering Situations
We identify three 'levels'
of fostering:
- LEVEL ONE - The rabbits
in this group are those who lack some of the social skills that make
them adoptable. They may be shy or fearful and anxious. Level One
fostered rabbits will be in a foster home for approximately 30 days.
Heartland most often needs foster homes for this level.
- LEVEL TWO - Our most severely
neglected and abused rabbits fall into this category. Time in foster
is usually 45-60 days. Extensive experience and familiarity with rabbits
is crucial at this level.
- LEVEL THREE - Sometimes
we have to act very quickly to save a rabbit from a dangerous situation.
Heartland is always at full capacity, and having a temporary safe
place for an endangered rabbit can help us save a life. Time in foster
is usually a few days to a week.
Volunteering
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Thank you for thinking about being a volunteer for Heartland! We know
that your days are every bit as busy and hectic as ours, and are grateful
for every hour each volunteer devotes to helping make the lives of our
rabbits happier and richer.
There are any number of ways to help, depending on your level of experience.
Some of these are:
- Socializing - as you might
imagine, there are many more rabbits than there are humans, and just
not enough time to give them the attention they need. Spending time
with a rabbit - petting and talking - improves rabbits' social skills
and invites trust between them and humans, thereby making them better
adoption candidates.
- Handing out treats such
as carrots and apples, or filling hay boxes.
- Grooming.
- Play time - taking rabbits
out to the play runs.
- Special events - helping
with fairs and educational presentations.
- Seasonal improvements
- planting the herb garden, or building and improving play areas.
- Cleaning litter trays.
This is a very necessary and constant part of our work, but it is
hard work.
A volunteer's initial visit
to Heartland is a two-hour orientation which includes safety, hygiene,
care and handling of rabbits, and specific instructions on grooming,
feeding, watering, and cleaning. New volunteers are mentored by the
director or an experienced volunteer until they are comfortable and
familiar with procedures.
Heartland requests that volunteers make a commitment to volunteer for
a minimum of two hours a week for at least six weeks.
Youth under the age of 18 must have written parental consent. Children
must always be under the direct supervision of a responsible adult
.
Sponsor a Rabbit
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For your gift of just around
$.12 a day, $45 a year, you can make a big difference in the life of
one of Heartland's rabbits. Any of our rabbits, adoptable or permanent
residents, can be sponsored. When setting up your sponsorship, please
give us the name of the rabbit you would like to sponsor and your address.
Sponsorship: $45
per year
For your generous gift of
sponsorship, you will receive:
- a sponsorship
certificate
- a 5x7 photo of your rabbit
- three cards from your
rabbit throughout the year
- a fridge magnet with your
rabbit's picture on it
Our permanent residents,
rabbits with special needs, are ideal candidates for sponsorship. Our
special needs rabbits are those who often cannot be adopted out because
of their illness, old age, or disability, and therefore stay at our
shelter permanently. They require extra care and often expensive medical
treatment; your sponsorship would help us tremendously to make their
lives comfortable and enjoyable. Meet our Special
Rabbits.
Our
adoptable rabbits would also love to be your sponsor rabbit, and your
gift of sponsoring will go to vet bills, food, toys, and education and
adoption campaigns. Meet our Adoptable
Rabbits.
Donations
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Monetary Donations
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Monetary donations
give us the flexibility to address areas that need it most, whether
to fund educational efforts, promote adoptions, spay and neuter,
buy food and hay, or to throw a "treat" party for the
bunnies. We try to do all we can to enrich the lives of the rabbits
at Heartland, many who have come to us from situations of abuse
and neglect. They especially appreciate toys and fresh fruit and
veggie parties!
All monetary donations
are tax-deductible and tax receipts are available. PayPal is a
fast and easy way to to donate. You can also mail your donation
to:
Heartland
Rabbit Rescue Fund
P.O. Box 224
Blanchard, OK 73010
Make checks
payable to Heartland Rabbit Rescue Fund. We thank you and the
rabbits thank you for your support!
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Supplies Wish List
- organic fruit tree branches
(no larger than 2" inches in diameter)
- bunny toys (like baby
keys, plastic slinkys, cardboard boxes, hard
- plastic balls with rattles)
- office supplies (copier
paper, manilla file folders, postage stamps,
- pens, staples, etc.)
- Rabbit chew toys are always
very popular
- clean towels (gently-used
is fine)
- natural (untreated) pinecones
- pet brushes
- otoscope with large earpieces
- digital scale
- Aspen wood bedding material
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