Dolly's Dream Home Rabbit Rescue

Sharing a Snack!

Spritz is looking for his forever home! Can you help us find it? The little guy may only have 1 working eye, but that doesn’t slow him down at all. Born in the Florida swamps, Spritz has adjusted to indoor life like a pro. He’s super smart, loves his puzzle toys, and would make a great bondmate. His foster says, “Spritz is getting quite the personality and we are here for it! His number one motivation is still food, food, and more food. This little bun has no fear of friendly dogs, and gets an A+ in litter box skills both in the pen and while free roaming. He tolerates being held if you have a snack to offer him, but he does sometimes mistaken fingers for carrot sticks!” If you’re looking for a clever, food-motivated bunny to brighten your life, Spritz is your guy! If you’d like to adopt Spritz, click here: https://forms.gle/xatrAFuJh65GYqTG9 P.S. We’ve been posting more videos than normal. What do you guys think? Do you like seeing bunnies enjoying life in their foster homes or would you rather us stick with pictures?

Baby Munching

Why do we share the background on each bunny? Our team feels it’s very, very important to share where bunnies come from and what they’ve been through. People are used to seeing similar stories come from dog and cat rescues, but don’t realize that the exact same situations of neglect, being unwanted, and being dumped happen to bunnies too. Honestly, we don’t share them all. There are always some owners who request we keep surrenders private, stories too bad for Facebook, and stories too sad for Facebook. We try to share what we can in order to spread awareness about the challenges domesticated rabbits face. Most people don’t realize rabbit rescues exist or even understand why there is a need for them. The sheer volume of rabbits in need right now is unnoticed by the general public, despite being higher than ever. Also, we think it’s important to know a rabbits history, so you can determine if your situation would be stressful to them or not based on their past events. Unlike cats and dogs, rabbits have virtually zero laws/rules/regulations in Missouri which makes the rabbit crisis able grow so quickly, and so quietly. We hope to change that through education. Which stories have stuck with you the most so far? P.S. Facebook gives us a small “performance bonus” if posts do well. It’s not a ton but covered a buns entire neuter, vetting, and supplies last month. If you have time, please help by liking/sharing/commenting on our last few posts!

Best Friend’s First Toy!

It’s $5 Friday, hosted by Best Friend! $5 might not seem like much, but every dollar makes a difference in rescue. Whether your donation is used for a box of hay, fresh greens, or a contribution toward a vet bill, you make a difference. This week, we spent nearly $6,000 on vet bills and went through over 800 pounds of hay. Despite Best Friend (our new neurologically impaired friend) wanting donations to go to his ‘toy fund,’ these donations are meant for bigger things! If you’d like to help the bunnies in our program, you can donate here: http://dollysdreamhome.org/donate And if you’d like to order a toy for his ‘toy box,’ you can order ‘for pickup’ and put Best Friend in the notes. https://www.dollysdreamhome.org/visit-our-new-store (trying out new link so hopefully this post won’t get flagged) Attached is a video of him receiving his very first toy yesterday! He was hooked!

Best Friend update! He’s with his foster 24/7, which means he stopped by Dolly’s Dream Store for a few minutes today. The little man is extremely friendly and throws a tantrum if he’s not being held or touched. He followed our director around for a bit today, trying to excessively groom her ankles. After just one day of emergency vet care, meds, and food, he’s like a whole new bunny. It’s hard to believe someone threw him out of a car near a levee, but he’s proving that nothing - not even significant neurological damage - can slow him down. We have dozens of videos, but this one is our favorite. Keep cheering him on. His progress is nothing short of a miracle! That’s the Dolly’s Difference. You got this Best Friend!

Earl Eating (Bunny ASMR)

Our South African friends at Pansy rabbit rescue recently shared this and it’s 100% correct! ““𝙈𝙮 𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙗𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙖𝙩 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩” Is a phrase I hear on the daily, I am going to break it down here as to why this is not okay •Rabbits do NOT sleep throughout the night, in fact it’s often their most active time, when they want to be running around, playing and foraging. •”just at night” is half of the hours in the day, which is half of their entire life! That they will spend stuck in an unsuitable sized space •Being free roam during the day when you are at home, does NOT “make up” for all the time that they will spend in a tiny space •Being locked in a cage at night will lead to frustration, boredom, obesity, joint issues and even bladder/kidney issues and aggression and other behavioral problems •If your rabbit free roams or is in a large pen during the day, there is NO reason for them to be locked up at night, it is not “for their safety” it is your job as their guardian to simply rabbit-proof the area better so it is safe for them to be out at night as well OR ensure they have a playpen area that is at least 2x3m to stay in at night, this is the BARE MINIMUM size requirements, •Your rabbit being able to roam the house during the daytime does not make them a “free roam rabbit” they are a caged rabbit that gets playtime, and this is just not good enough, they need at least the bare minimum (2x3m) of space available to them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Please do better and provide at least the bare minimum for your rabbits 24/7” Cages are never okay, anytime. (Enjoy some ASMR of Earl eating while you read this)

Wonder the Wonder Bunny!

Last year, Wonder came to us in rough shape, but his story is proof that the right care (and a little bit of actual rabbit knowledge) can change everything. He arrived with a severe splay after bouncing between multiple homes. One of his former adopters tried using DIY splints, which only made things worse. On top of that, his vets down south weren’t exactly rabbit savvy and were convinced he was riddled with tumors. But thankfully, our friends knew something wasn’t right and sent him up to Missouri. Once he arrived at Dolly’s, we got to work. X-rays, tests, and a neuter later, we uncovered two key facts: One, Wonder was actually a male, and two, there were no tumors - just some uniquely long femurs. No medical crisis, no life threatening condition. Just a bunny who needed the right people in his corner. And now? Wonder is officially adopted! He’s living his best life with one of our fosters, bonded to her 9 year old bunny, Nala, and DDH alum, Mr. Fart (now Norman). His splay doesn’t slow him down one bit - just look at that binky! Disabilities don’t define him, and he’s living proof that special needs bunnies thrive with the right care. From misdiagnosed and misunderstood to loved and unstoppable…Wonder, you did it buddy!

Thank You!

There have only been 68 days so far this year, but we’ve already rescued 135 bunnies. That’s about 2 bunnies every single day. Every. Single. Day. 2 bunnies dumped, neglected, or in crisis that needed our help. 2 bunnies we’ve had to find space for, provide medical care for, and fight for. And that number is only going to keep climbing. Rescue never slows down. It’s nonstop, but we keep going because these bunnies don’t have anyone else. Thank you to everyone who supports us, donates, fosters, adopts, and shares our mission. We couldn’t do this without you. If you’d like to help support our bunnies, click below: Donate - http://dollysdreamhome.org/donate Adopt - https://forms.gle/xatrAFuJh65GYqTG9 Foster - https://forms.gle/A7qNC1jZveVZpSy28

Bunny Dancing!

At Dolly’s Dream Home, every single bunny in our care gets individualized attention and socialization starting the day they arrive. Since our bunnies live in trained foster homes, they experience love, interaction, and enrichment. Every trained foster family adjusts around the bunnies unique personalities and needs from day 1. Some bunnies need confidence building, most need help learning to trust, and others just need time to come out of their shells. Whether it’s a shy bunny learning that humans aren’t so scary, a previously neglected bunny discovering the joy of a gentle hand, or a defensive bunny realizing they no longer have to be on guard, we meet them where they are - every single day. Our fosters know their bunnies inside and out, helping them adjust at their own pace while keeping us in the loop. This personalized approach means our bunnies are ready for adoption relatively quickly and transition into their forever homes with ease. They aren’t waiting in cages, hoping for a chance at socialization months or years down the line - they’re already thriving because we put them first. A huge thank you to our foster families who go above and beyond to make sure every bunny is set up for success. It takes a village and we’re so proud of the one we’ve built. Below is our very own namesake, Dolly. At intake, she was extremely scared and had fear based aggression. Now look at her go! She’s happy, healthy, and thriving due to the personalized socialization she received right off the bat. (Don’t mind the wet puppy pen - she binkied into her water bowl!) P.S. Facebook gives us a small “performance bonus” if posts do well. It’s not a ton but covered a buns entire neuter, vetting, and supplies last month. If you have time, please help by liking/sharing/commenting on our last few posts!

Trauma in Rabbits

Trauma in rabbits doesn’t always look like what people expect. It’s not just flinching or hiding - it can show up in so many ways and every bunny reacts differently based on what they’ve been through. Some bunnies shut down completely, frozen in fear. Others become hyper alert, always on edge, expecting the worst. Some may seem aggressive, lunging or boxing because the world has taught them they need to defend themselves. Others overgroom, chew at their own fur, or develop repetitive behaviors. Then there are the silent signs. The bunny who never explores, who never fully relaxes, who eats only when no one is watching. The one who avoids touch, or worse, doesn’t react to it at all because they’ve learned that nothing they do will change their situation. Healing from trauma isn’t instant, and it isn’t always linear. A bunny might take months to trust a kind hand, to understand that food will always come, to believe that they are finally safe. At Dolly’s, we see these behaviors every day, and we know that love, patience, and the right foster environment can make all the difference. These bunnies aren’t “mean” or “broken.” They’re survivors. And with time, they can learn that humans aren’t something to fear. If you’ve ever worked with a bunny overcoming trauma, share your experience below. What helped them feel safe again?

Babies in a Castle!

One of our amazing friends recently sent a big box of toys to the rescue! Her bunny, Stella, decided some of her toys just weren’t up to her high standards, so her mom figured our buns could put them to good use instead. And as if that wasn’t sweet enough, Stella even included the nicest little note with the package. Below is a video of the Cheese Babies putting the felt castle they donated to the ultimate test. Spoiler: it’s a big hit! We promise every single donation is put to good use here - whether it’s toys, treats, or supplies, there’s always a bunny here ready to appreciate it (and probably toss it across the room in excitement).