HRS Chicago

11/07/2024

11/02/2024

Not to be a complainer but what gives? I hope one day people contact us when they want to adopt instead of just when they don’t want their rabbits anymore. We’re an ethical rescue. All of our rabbits are neutered, vaccinated, parasite tested/treated and socialized by foster people before adoption. Nobody is ever kept in a cage. Adopting from us includes pretty much 24/7 support if there is ever an issue, whether it’s behavioral, medical, etc. We stay up to date on all the latest developments in rabbit medicine and welfare. We can bond your bunnies for you. I think it’s a pretty sweet deal personally.

*The one application we received last month did not result in an adoption because the people changed their mind about wanting another bunny after we did the meet*

11/01/2024

**Happy ! 🐰🌏**

Did you know that around 1 billion rabbits are killed for food each year? These are the same rabbits we cherish as companions. Over the years, we have rescued many from becoming someone’s dinner.

We’re proud to lead the way in vegan advocacy with Food for Thought - A Program of Animal Place promoting a compassionate, mission-driven vegan menu policy for all our events.

As a rabbit rescue, our commitment to animal welfare spans all species. Embracing veganism nurtures compassion, empathy, and equality, challenging the idea that companion animals are superior to those raised for food. This inclusive approach fosters a culture of respect and kindness for all beings.

Let’s celebrate compassion today and every day!

10/31/2024

Hoppy Halloween from adoptable cutie pie Junior 🐰🎃

10/28/2024

Miso is bonded ✔️ and adopted ✔️

This guy came to us as a medical case from Chicago Animal Care and Control at the end of last year with suspected dental disease after he was of course abandoned outside. His teeth were/are actually fine but he had a chronically weepy eye that took us many months, many eye drops from his wonderful foster mom Kendra and an ophthalmologist consult to get under control.

He was finally medically cleared and had a couple failed dates because he’s kind of a weird guy 🥸 But he hit it off with a sweet lop named Cinnabun and we are so happy for them both 🥰 Aren’t they so cute? Tysm to Breanna & Sebastian for adopting and loving our guy 💜

10/25/2024

We are partnering with The Bunnyjackpot Foundation on another bonding webinar next month since the last one was so well attended ✨

Heather is a self-proclaimed behavior geek 🙂 In the webinar she will cover ethical rabbit-led bonding, normal behaviors, the importance of companionship for our bunny friends, and much more. Heather has over ten years of experience with bonding and has bonded THOUSANDS of rabbits to date, including many with “problematic” behaviors. She has been a featured speaker at The National Rabbit Festival for the past two years where she has presented on bonding & behavior as well ✨ This webinar is informative for folks at all experience levels!

The cost of the webinar will be $27 USD and proceeds will be split between our two rescues so will benefit the buns in our care 🐇🐇🐇

This will be hosted on Zoom and is open to anyone worldwide.

Please email [email protected] to sign up! Space is limited!

10/24/2024

Last year’s vegan bake sale for the bunnies was a hit so we are doing it again 😊 Many of last year’s bakers are contributing and there will be some new bakers this year as well. If you’d like to contribute any baked goods, send us a message 🧁 This is the largest selection of vegan baked goods in Chicago in one spot!

We will have the bunny boutique again this year as well so you can come grab willow toys, willow tents, cottontail cottages and MORE for your buns while you stock up on baked goods for yourself. We will also be there to answer questions about fostering, adopting, bonding, etc.

Thanks so much to for helping coordinate this and .kitchen for generously letting us use the space again 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

Hope to see you all there 🤗

10/23/2024

Have a lot of things to catch up on over here so first thing’s first, Eeyore was officially adopted! His name is Odie now, short for Odysseus because he bonded with our alumbun Calypso 🤗 This is the second husbun for a bunny who was previously labeled as “unbondable.” She wasn’t even very difficult, just bossy 🤷🏼‍♀️

Calypso had two prospective friends waiting for her at my house, both boys under a year old. I remember texting her mom in the morning before she dropped off “these boys are insane she’s going to hate them both.” But she sure proved me wrong! She did have a few failed attempts with some of our other bunnies before this and thankfully her mom was open to adopting whoever Calypso chose. We always appreciate adopters who don’t have hang ups about certain breeds/colors/sizes/etc 🙏🏼

I also want to say I cannot believe how big this guy has gotten. He was barely a handful of bunny when I caught him as a stray back in May and now he’s almost as big as Calypso who is around 9lbs! Pic of him on rescue day if you scroll to the end.

Thank you Tahlia for adopting again and for being such an amazing bunny mama 💜

10/19/2024

💯💯💯

As Halloween is approaching we want to remind you not to dress up your bunnies!

Dressing bunnies up can cause a large amount of stress and discomfort and it just isn't fair on them. It isn't natural for bunnies to wear clothes and they don't enjoy it.

Dressing them up is completely for your own benefit, the bunny gains nothing from it. Even if they just sit there and don't seem stressed out by it, are they really enjoying it??

We believe bunnies are cute enough as it is without having to wear clothes.
Why not test your art skills and add a bit of spooky fun to your photos by editing them digitally?! 🎃

10/17/2024

New vaccine guidelines from medgene

Amendment to Our Recent Post on RHD Vaccination Recommendations 🐰💉

We’d like to provide clarification on our recent post regarding the US Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) vaccine by Medgene.

In our original post, we mentioned that Medgene updated the label to recommend vaccination every 6 months. This statement is not entirely accurate and has caused some confusion among veterinarians and rabbit owners. Here's what you need to know:
- Medgene’s label: The current label does not require a booster every 6 months. Instead, the label states that the vaccine has been shown to be effective for at least 6 months based on data from a duration of immunity (DOI) study.
- Booster schedule: Veterinarians are encouraged to use both Medgene's efficacy data and additional data, such as the serology response study conducted by Colorado State University, to make informed decisions about when to booster the vaccine. This study suggests that immunity lasts beyond 6 months, with sufficient levels seen up to a year post-vaccination.
- Clarification on label: There has not been an official label change on the vaccine. The label does not currently specify when booster vaccinations must occur after the initial series (two vaccines, 21 days apart), allowing veterinarians to use their discretion.

We sincerely apologize for any confusion caused and recommend rabbit owners consult with their veterinarians to determine the most appropriate vaccination schedule for their pets. 🐇

You can read more about the serology study here: https://doi.org/10.3390/v16040538

Thank you for your understanding!

10/09/2024

@ Florida folks

Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties have been placed under tropical storm warning (with the potential for an upgrade to hurricane) and flood watch. We've already started experiencing multiple animals declining to eat in response to the pressures changing as the hurricane approaches.

IMPORTANT THING TO KNOW...
🐰 Some rabbits will stop eating for a few days in response to environmental pressure changes. It's imperative to make sure that they continue eating through the storm - especially considering that vets may be closed until Monday. NOW is the ideal time to stock up on critical care!

🐰 If you lose power it's extremely important to make sure that your rabbits stay cool. Heat exhaustion/overheating and stasis secondary to dehydration/stress are the two main causes of death of rabbits in extreme weather conditions.

🐰 Frozen bottles of water will help to keep rabbits cool if you still have power. You can fill up empty soda bottles or even ziploc bags (half full) and place them in the freezer.

🐰 If you LOSE power and/or all of your frozen water bottles and ziploc bags melt, small amounts of water or rubbing alcohol on a paper towel rubbed on the insides of their ears will help them to stay cool. NOTE: Liquid should NOT go down their ear canals. Just on the skin on the inside of the ears. It's the equivalent of water on your neck and face to cool off.

❌ We CANNOT take rabbits in at this time. We are not able to house rabbits through the storm or after the storm at this time as we need to place our own rabbits that are being displaced. However, we will be helping in every capacity that we can.

✅ We will be offering supportive care for all rabbits in the days following the hurricane. If rabbits need to be cooled off, need fluids, or need force feeding, we will be here to help through the weekend until the veterinarians open back up on Monday.

🆘 IF YOUR RABBIT NEEDS HELP: Please message our page. Not only will we do our best to help you find resources, more people will be able to see your message and also offer assistance.

Above all else, stay safe folks! Make sure to take care of yourselves and your furry friends!

10/09/2024

New girl Kirby wants to share our Amazon wishlist in case you want to send the bunnies anything while you’re doing your prime day shopping today

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1K3H6F05MRZHA?ref_=wl_share

10/08/2024

I swear these two had perfect p**p habits before they entered gen pop 🤗

10/07/2024

Anyone in FL able to temporarily take a bunny for our friends at Suncoast House Rabbit Rescue ?

UPDATE: Thanks to you amazing support we were able to find temporary homes for all our bunnies!! ❤️❤️❤️

If anyone can take a rabbit or cat or two for the next few days, please let us know! We are under mandatory evacuation orders but wouldn’t want to leave the bunnies and cats behind. We will provide a pen and supplies for the bunnies.

10/02/2024

How to help bunnies impacted by Helene in Asheville

09/28/2024

I think most people are aware that stress bonding is unethical and should never be used, but what do we mean by stress bonding?

Stress bonding is-

🐰 Short dates. Constantly splitting the rabbits causes confusion with no benefit to the bond.

🐰 Bonding in a carrier. This is nothing but unnecessary stress and they're unable to interact naturally to advance the bond.

🐰 Bonding in a very small space. We suggest starting with a typical 5 sided pen, the rabbits should be able to move around, interact and get a little space from each other if they wish.

🐰 Forced cuddling. Again, this does nothing to help the rabbits work out how to live together and puts them in an uncomfortable and unnecessary position.

🐰 Using loud noises or vibrations. Hoovering near the rabbits, unnecessary car rides, shaking the carrier, putting them on a washing machine... it goes without saying that these things shouldn't be done to bond!

🐰 Bonding in a bath. The slippy floor is very dangerous and it also doesn't allow you to increase the size over time.

*Winnie and George are already happily bonded in this photo which was taken in a carrier for a necessary vet trip