LOCAL RABBIT RESCUE IN NEED OF FOSTER FAMILIES

PUMPKIN'S ACRES RABBIT RESCUE STRUGGLING TO FIND FOREVER HOMES FOR ABANDONED BUNNIES

As we hop into the Year of the Rabbit, a local rescue organization is hoping to add a few more faces to its small army of supporters.

Pumpkin's Acres Rabbit Rescue, the only rescue organization of its kind in Niagara, has issued a plea for new fosters as the agency struggles to find forever homes for abandoned bunnies.

"Bottom line is we are always in dire need of fosters, because there are always endless more rabbits to save," said volunteer Jane Vallee.

Thorold resident Lyla Frick launched the rescue in early 2020 and quickly discovered the number of abandoned, unwanted and neglected pet bunnies multiplied ... well, like rabbits.

While the registered charity has found forever homes for dozens of rabbits, the agency is struggling to keep up with demand and need more fosters to fill the void.

"It's always a revolving door of fosters," Frick said. "We're always taking in new bunnies we need

fosters for and some people can only foster for a few months and sometimes we lose fosters for one reason or another."

Vallee joined the cause after noticing multiple rabbits roaming around her Niagara Falls neighbourhood.

She posted a listing on a lost and found website, asking if anyone

was missing a pet rabbit and a volunteer with Pumpkin's Acres reached out.

Vallee was shocked to learn the rabbits likely weren't missing, rather they had been dumped.

She later adopted two bunnies — Strawberry and Hopper — through the organization.

"For me, whether it be rabbits or any other animal, whenever you take in an animal, you are enhancing its life, potentially saving its life," she said.

In addition to new fosters, monetary donations are always needed to cover the ongoing cost of veterinary care.

"Already this year we've spent over $8,000 and we're not even a full month into the year yet," said Frick.

Frick previously volunteered with the Lincoln County Humane Society, helping to find homes for rabbits.

In 2017, she fostered a bunny who had been part of a group of domestic rabbits set loose in a St. Catharines neighbourhood.

She named her Pumpkin and later adopted the rabbit.

About a year after the adoption, X-rays revealed she had bullets from a pellet gun in her leg.

Pumpkin inspired her to launch the rescue.

"I saw how many rabbits there were being abandoned, neglected, in need — and we didn't have a rabbit rescue down here," she said.

Potential fosters must be 21, have a valid driver's licence, and agree to keep the rabbits indoors and to not house them in the small cages typically found in pet stores.

"Unfortunately, a lot of people think that those cages are OK," Frick said. "They're not meant to be kept in small cages like that."

Vallee's two white rabbits, for example, have a dedicated room in her home.

"They are just so lovable," she said with a smile.

For further information on becoming a foster, visit pumpkinsacres.ca.