Blog Entry 3- A Day in the Life

Being a Bunny Brigader—a moniker used by the staff in reference to the rabbit volunteers-–is a demanding job.  Unlike with cats and dogs, the staff has little to do with taking care of the rabbits. The Bunny Brigade takes up the tasks of feeding, watering, cleaning, and grooming the rabbits.  We teach potential adopters proper rabbit care and help them to find the rabbit best suited for their family. I usually volunteer Fridays from 3 in the afternoon to an undetermined time, usually between 7 or 8 at night; I’ve been volunteering for over two years. To start, we usually go to the front rabbit room to top off—meaning we give them fresh hay, pellets, and water.  The main cleaning on Fridays occurs in the barn, where many of our other rabbits who haven’t been at the shelter as long reside.  On busy days like Saturdays, the front room gets a full cleaning and the barn gets topped off.
In the barn, we fill water bottles, give pellets, clean the litter boxes and fill them up with newspaper and hay, and let the rabbits into their outside exercise area unless it’s too hot or it’s pouring rain.  Depending on how many rabbits we have in the barn, it can be a demanding job.  Litter boxes are usually cleaned out with a hose and soap but can also be sprayed with vinegar water and the grime wiped out with towels.  Most of the new rabbits go to the barn if they are caught by an animal control officer. It’s not an easy job but these rabbits need people to come and help take care of them or the consequences may be dire.  These rabbits would be euthanized without the Bunny Brigade and the volunteers within that organization.
My love for rabbits has increased since I began volunteering.  I was attacked by a rabbit as a kid and began to be a bit afraid of them, but now I can pick them up by the scruff and get them in and out of cages.  I can even “baby” them, which is when you turn a rabbit onto their back and cradle them like an infant. The rabbit goes into a trance and they remain completely still.  It is theorized that this reflex has to do with when they were babies or in the womb.  To want a rabbit as a pet wouldn’t have even crossed my mind a few years ago; this shows how influential this whole experience has been in my life.  It can be just as moving for others who want to volunteer their time as well.  This is a life changing experience.