01/12/2026
ā¼ļøVET DONATIONS NEEDEDā¼ļø
I spent almost the entire week last week away from home and driving over three different states, all in the name of bunnies. So now it's time to talk about the bunnies we picked up in Texas at the beginning of last week. This rescue mission was a very personal one for me, and a bit complicated, so I wanted to wait and post about it until I had the time to give it the proper attention after our second trip of the week.
In 2023 I was sent a post about a breeder that was giving away their "cull" rabbits. These rabbits were a bunch of rex and mini rex in some of the most beautiful "non show standard" colors and I just couldn't let them be put to death for no reason other than being supposedly imperfect. So, I drove to Houston to get them, all the way from Arizona, and just didn't disclose that I was a rescue, as most breeders would just rather see the bunnies die instead of go to a rescue.
Once home I quickly realized those rabbits had a lot of genetic issues. From having almost no fur on their feet which leads to sore hocks very easily, to heart defects and dental issues, and a very high rate of cancer over the past few years too. They were also all TERRIFIED of people, more so than any hoarding cases I'd ever worked. So, I kept pretty much all of them as sanctuary residents. Over the past couple years I've lost a couple because of their health issues but still have several of them and love them so much, even though they still want nothing to do with people.
So when that same breeder reached out and said they were moving and had more rabbits for me if I wanted them, I couldn't say no. I know that morally this is a gray area, taking a breeder's "scraps" any time they are moving or just don't want their "poor quality" rabbits etc. Trust me, I'm aware that we can't possibly save them all, not with how fast they are bred, but I couldn't look the other way on these ones. They may be related to rabbits I already dearly love and I knew they were likely to have a lot of the same health issues. They simply aren't scraps to me regardless.
Anyways, these are the new bunnies I picked up. The male has a huge abscess on his chest because he is overweight and his skin has been rubbing on wire cage flooring. He will need this surgically drained but the vet wanted to do a week of antibiotics first. The females all have crusty eyes, wet noses and long nails and are also all on antibiotics given the respiratory symptoms. And sure enough, their feet all show the same sore hocks already well started and angry.
In an ideal world, I'd like to raise enough money for all of these bunnies to get some scans done, at minimum. Mainly I want to check for the heart defect that has been the end for some of their relatives and make sure the adults are cancer free. This is a hefty cost though, ($500 per rabbit) and the first concern has to be getting the male rabbit's abscess taken care of ($300).
If you're able to donate anything it would be so appreciated! We have over 10k followers on this page so it really adds up if everyone just works together and sends a small amount! š
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https://linktr.ee/alwayssunnysanctuary
