Hamish House Rabbit Rescue Alliance

01/12/2025

Piggy snuggle fest!

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DUcuDfbVz/

30/11/2025

🐰 Holiday Wishlist Time! 🐰
We were asked for our Christmas wishlist… so we made one.
Blame the person who asked — the rabbits certainly are. 😅

If you want to take a look, here it is — zero pressure.
Peeking is support. Scrolling is support. Even judging our choices is support.

Thanks for keeping Hamish House going by telling your friends about our available buns, or even just rooting for us!

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/5G6Y23CWMAKR?ref_=wl_share

The picture is of our AVAILABLE, snuggly, bonded pair of mini lops: Arlo left & Orla right.

25/11/2025

Tonight broke my heart.

A family brought me a rabbit who was already slipping away. He was skin and bones, extremely lethargic, unable to loaf, and barely responsive. Grinding his teeth — which is not “chewing,” not comfort, but a rabbit’s way of silently screaming that they are in pain.

He had been grinding for over a week.

They meant well. Truly. Their current life circumstances made an emergency vet impossible. The rabbit lived in the basement on pellets. No pain meds. No Panacur. No Critical Care on hand. No idea he was a boy. No idea how to check a temperature. Stinky full scent glands. And by the time he reached me, his tiny 3-lb mini rex body was simply too far gone to save.

I gave fluids. I medicated. I tried to feed. I put him on a heat pad. I tried *everything* I could provide outside of an ICU.
But sometimes “everything” is still too late.

And then — the part that stays with you — I watched a child sob over their dying pet. A child who loved him, who didn’t know any better, who will now carry this memory forever. That’s the part that cracks something inside you.

This might have been preventable.

Here’s what I need people to know:

**Rabbits hide illness until they’re in crisis.**
By the time they show signs, you don’t have days — you often have hours.

**Teeth grinding is PAIN.** ((in the absence of being pet))
Not comfort. Not grooming. Not chewing. Pain — and pain itself can *trigger* GI stasis.

**When a rabbit’s GI tract slows or stops (GI stasis), they can decline with terrifying speed.**
When the gut stops… the bunny goes. Sometimes in a matter of hours.

**Not all Emergency Vets know what to do with rabbits, even when it comes to "exotic" vets.

- AND THIS IS WHY -

**Every rabbit owner needs to know the basics:**
• **Normal vs. abnormal behavior** — loafing, posture, appetite, activity
• **What early GI stasis looks like** — smaller poops, refusing favorite foods, hiding, sitting oddly, tooth grinding. (We keep a camera on all buns to identify WHEN they stopped eating or "toileting". This informs us how much time we might have to help.

• **How to take a temperature** — and what the danger ranges are
• **What to keep on hand:**
– Critical Care
– Pain meds prescribed by your vet
– Panacur
– Simethicone (no research proving benefit, but no harm in trying)
– Oral syringes
– The state of their body condition and monitor for weight loss
– A heating pad that does not automatically turn off.
• **When to reach out** — *immediately* when anything seems off
• **A plan for emergencies** — even if vet care is difficult to access

This isn’t about blame. It’s about heartbreak that didn’t need to happen.

Please — learn about your rabbits. Ask questions. Reach out early. Take the Dolly’s Dream Home Rescue Class or a House Rabbit Society class. **These classes are free, online, and taught live.** No excuses, no barriers — just knowledge that can save your rabbit’s life.

Don’t wait until your rabbit is half gone.
Don’t let your first lesson in rabbit illness be the moment a child is crying over a pet that can’t be saved.

Your rabbit deserves more comfort and more time.
And you deserve not to carry this kind of grief.

To the bun, I'm so sorry I couldn't do more. To the family, thank you for trusting me to try. I'm so very sorry for the presumed outcome. I will be stunned if this cute man is still breathing by dawn (he was gone in less than 3 hours). I truly wish things were different.

At lease the teeth grinding stopped.

Send a message to learn more

17/11/2025

This last week:

• Shelters are overflowing with buns and we’ve had to turn away more than we’d ever want.

• Mozzey is currently on an extended date with his new lady love (everyone manifest good vibes).

• That tiny bit of freed-up space let us team up with our friends at True Hearts for Healing Paws to help two street buns — she’s rocking her post-op recovery and he’s waiting like the world’s most patient husbun.

• Another rescue may give this bonded duo a safe place to find their forever family together shortly.

And somewhere in there, we also did late-night weekend crisis support, because rabbits love spontaneous emergencies mostly when the vets are asleep.

16/11/2025

* tears *

12/11/2025

*UPDATE ** 11/16

This sweet girl "Penny" was spayed and is recovering nicely. Since she is still bonded with the adorable male "Copper" she was rescued with - they will go to Best Friends together to find their family! Their finder did a great job of advocating for them (when seperated he was escaping & frantically looking for her).

They could not be sweeter .. little by little they're calming down and realizing they're safe now. See comments for updated photos.

** Bunny Situation**
A daring duo was found on the streets — not on a romantic getaway, but definitely on the run!

He’s an intact tan male with big *“I meant to dig a burrow”* energy.
She’s a presumed intact red-eyed white female who’s… probably expecting. 😬

They’re safe with the finder for now, but are not able to stay where they are. The Humane Society has a waitlist and a 2 week quarantine (around Dec 7th). We’re helping the finder look for **temporary foster homes** — ideally separate, but could be the same home if space allows.

If she delivers babies (likely), she’ll need a calm, quiet space.

Our rescue can offer support to fosters — supplies, food, hay, setup help — most of what's needed to keep them comfortable and safe.

Please reach out if you can help these two street survivors stay safe while we assist their finder. 🐰💕

12/11/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/1BV23gemwi/

A Desperate Plea to Petco, PetSmart, and Pet Supplies Plus

Reptile rescues are drowning.
Many, including BeWild, now have waitlists of over 100 animals — some who have been waiting for help for more than a year.

When they finally reach us, they’re often emaciated, sick, or suffering from severe neglect.
They often come to us too late to help, and we’re the ones who sit with them in their final moments.

An animal you sell for $30 can cost us over $1,000 in veterinary care.
You’re not consistently asking buyers the right questions.
You’re not consistently giving them accurate care information.
And in the end, we’re left to clean up the mess.

It isn’t fair — to your customers, to the animals, or to the rescues trying to save them.

In 2025 alone, BeWild has received nearly 500 surrender forms.
Our forms ask where each animal came from, and the majority list a chain pet store.

We’re just one rescue. There are three 501(c)(3) reptile rescues in North Carolina, and we all have waitlists. Some states have none at all. Where do you think those animals are ending up?

We believe you are creating a crisis too large for anyone to fix.
Nonprofit rescues across the country now exist almost entirely to try to stem the flood of animals your stores unleash into unprepared homes.

Many of these animals come from mass breeders and importers. Some are even taken out of the wild only to suffer in subpar captive conditions.

You don’t sell dogs and cats in your stores.
Why don’t reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and small mammals deserve the same compassion and consideration?

There are far fewer organizations able to help these animals, yet their lives are just as valuable.
Unfortunately, the few groups that do specialize in these species receive far less support.
Fundraising for a sick snake is a lot harder than fundraising for a sick puppy.

Pet stores don’t need to sell live animals to stay in business. Imagine how many animal lovers would flock to the first major chain to make that change. Many of us already buy pet food online specifically to avoid supporting stores that sell live animals.

People who truly want to keep reptiles can and will seek out rescues and responsible, ethical breeders.

If you want to see chain pet stores stop selling live animals:

- Share this post.
- Comment on their pages.
- Email and call their corporate offices.
- And above all, do not buy animals from chain pet stores.

This cycle of suffering will never end until we stop paying them to continue it.

03/11/2025

If you enjoy fun ceramics and a good 'ol fundraiser get ready to support our local friends at the Wildlife Center of Salt Lake! Nov 15-20th only but you can browse now!

http://www.theartofgivingback.com/
What a fun idea!

03/11/2025

Congrats to our wonderful foster chin who's been adopted! We have one more sweet foster chin ready to go home! He's in SLC!

https://classifieds.ksl.com/listing/79957206

Call for quote Chinchilla for sale in Smithfield, UT on KSL Classifieds. View a wide selection of Other Pets and other great items on KSL Classifieds.

02/11/2025

Anyone crafty and want to help us work on a logo?