'A' Morning - Friday, January 29, 2010

New Moon Rabbit Rescue will be on 'A' Morning on Friday, January 29, 2010 as part of a show all about pets.   Be sure to watch on Rogers Cable 6, Bell Expressvu 209 or StarChoice 342.

New Moon Gift Shop

Exciting new items have landed in our Gift Shop.  Check out the beautiful new jewelry.  Thanks to Bunslove, The Glass Girls and Lyse Marie for their generous donations!

Frankie . . . a special bunny looking for a special home.

This is Frankie.  She was born in the fall of 2007.  At first glance Frankie looks like your “normal”, “average” bunny rabbit but she comes with a heavy heart and a sad story.  

Frankie came to New Moon in April of 2009.  Frankie and Neville arrived together.  They had both been rescued from a rabbit mill by a kind women a year earlier.  They had never had a good experience with humans and had no reason to believe that humans would not harm them.  Their new owner tried to work with them and gain their trust but had made little progress.  Emotionally exhausted and losing hope she brought them to New Moon in hopes that we could help them. 

Neville as still traumatized by his previous life and to this day is still working with New Moon volunteers in hopes that he can someday trust humans.  Frankie however was younger than 

Neville and has been able to move beyond her past.  She is still timid and nervous but she tries.  She is somewhat troubled by her past but more than anything she needs a home and 

a family to love her unconditionally and to show her that not all humans are cruel. 

She is currently living in foster care and has had great success adjusting to a real life.  

Frankie is shy but curious and looking for a quiet home with no children and not too many other animals as she scares easliy from loud, quick movements. 

If you feel your home is right for Frankie please contact New Moon today.  If you are interested in adding a rabbit to your family please visit our website!  www.newmoonrabbitrescue.ca  

Another year has come and gone.  2009 a very busy year for the rescue with 13 surrenders before  

we had even reached the end of March.  Sadly, most of the rabbits that came to us in the past year 

had be found as strays and without your support would not be the happy and healthy bunnies they 

are today 

Abbie, a 17lbs English Lop came to us in March of 2009.  She had been living in such filthy condi- 

tions that she had developed sores on her face for her running eyes, sores on her feet from matted 

wet hair and had difficulty breathing because of congestion. Her symptoms began to subside almost 

immediately.  Abbie received the proper treatment and care and within a month she was adopted by 

a wonderful family. 

In April we met Neville.  Neville originally came from a rabbit mill and had been forced to live in cruel 

conditions before being rescued by his previous owner.  He was so traumatized that after a year of working with him she had still not 

been able to emotionally reach him.  Neville is currently a resident of New Moon and volunteers have been working with him in hopes 

that someday he will trust humans and be able to find his forever home. 

Darcy came to us in May with molar spurs that had already cut into his cheeks and caused him much pain and in need of medical 

attention.  His total treatment costs were close to $1000.  Today Darcy is happy and healthy and living in a wonderful forever home. 

In the fall of 2009 the rescue was hit with a landslide of baby bunnies!  In September, New Moon rescued a litter of baby bunnies from 

a burrow under a deck.  These 10 baby bunnies would cost the rescue over $2000 for their spay and neuters alone!  To everyone’s 

surprise, only 8 weeks later Ophelia came to the rescue with a tummy bursting with 8 more baby bunnies!  Ophelia and her babies 

would also need spays & neuters totaling close to $1500! 

These are only some of the many rabbits your donations have helped.  Without your support these and many other rabbits would not 

have the happy lives that they have now.  Thank you to our supporters, donors, fosters, volunteers and adopters for your unwavering 

support.  You have our undying gratitude. 

Happy New Year!  We wish you happiness, peace and prosperity! 

Bill's Excellent Bunny Hop Adventure

Bill Welychka's Excellent Bunny Hop Adventure aired on 'A' Morning today! Check it out on YouTube! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qTURzZx88U Thanks again to Bill, Tina and everyone at 'A' for their support!!

Thank You for making the 2009 Bunny Hop for Hope a success!!

The 2009 Bunny Hop for Hope raised $3684.61 for New Moon Rabbit Rescue! We would like to thank EVERYONE who was involved with this event. We couldn't have done it with out the brave souls who collected pledges and put on their bunny suits and bunny ears to brave the 20km walk and the wonderful volunteers who helped us out at the finish line BBQ, bake sale, raffle and kids activities and who donated baking for our bake sale. Equally important were all of the generous people and businesses that sponsored the event by making generous donations of money and raffle items. And finally, thank you to all of the people who came out on Saturday to support our cause. It was wonderful to see so many people who are interested in what we do for the rabbits that come to us.

Be sure to watch 'A' Morning on September 24, 2009 to see "Bill's Excellent Adventure" for Bill Welychka's coverage of the Bunny Hop for Hope!

Hippity Hop Down the 20 km Bunny Trail

It was a gorgeous day! It was exactly the kind of weather organizers of the Bunny Hop for Hope had been wishing for: no rain, no scorching heat - just beautiful sunshine, in the low twenties.

At 7:30 AM on Saturday (September 12, 2009), volunteers were meeting in the College Square parking lot (corner of Baseline Rd & Woodroffe Ave). A few yawns could be seen. Some had been up as early as 5:30 AM getting ready for this big day. I was one of them!

Out came bunny ears, bunny costumes, water bottles, backpacks, signs and anything needed to walk nearly 20 km. It was a feat I had never dared to attempt before! I was once very active and fairly athletic, but those days are very far behind me. I'll admit - I was extremely nervous about this walk. Still, I knew that organizers wanted a herd of bunnies this year. It would definitely be more eyecatching. So, to show my support and to encourage the organizers, I signed up.

Regan & Marg (president and vice-president of New Moon) brought out their creative juices and talent to make me a cute soft fuzzy bunny costume, turning me into a Mini-Rex, like my little guy, Jennings. Like everyone else, I giggled shyly as I pulled my bunny "cap" over my head. At least no one would recognize me... right? We were sure to attract attention, which we wanted! How many two-legged walking bunnies do you see on the sidewalks of Ottawa? Or any city, for that matter!

Nearing 8 A.M. - it's showtime! Bill Welychka of 'A' Channel" was presented with his own bunny costume for the event. He would be filming an episode for "Bill's Excellent Adventures!". Without a moment's hesitation, he led us towards Baseline Road, asking questions along the way and waving to cars. The bunny herd behind Bill followed suit. We began to feel more comfortable, enjoying the quizzical looks of passers by.

We walked. And walked. And walked some more! Drivers honked along the way. We gave out fun lollipops (covered with felt bunny faces) to some passengers in stopped vehicles and we explained to people why we were walking in bunny suits. One cheerful cyclist rode up behind us and slowed down to inquire about this funny sight. We told him about New Moon Rabbit Rescue. He thought it was a creative idea and gave a donation! We thanked him for his generosity and gave him a lollipop, along with our gratitude. He had just given us a boost to keep going!

Some of you might be wondering if anyone was monitoring us along the route. No worries! A wonderful volunteer decorated her vehicle with Bunny Hop and New Moon decals, as well as bunny ears and nose! She cheered us on and made sure we were well hydrated, having a cooler filled with water and beverages. We were very well taken care of.

We made our way through Barrhaven, well on our way towards Manotick! Shortly after turning on Jockvale Road, a car drove past us, honking wildly in support. We loved it! We waved and smiled. A few moments later, the same car returned in the opposite direction. It slowed down to a halt. The driver wanted to support us by giving a donation. The lady was so kind and supportive. We were starting to feel the pain in our feet and the fatigue setting in. Her gesture and enthusiasm was exactly what we needed to lift our spirits! She said she would be at the finish line to see our arrival. We couldn't wait to get there!

We were continuing our walk along Jockvale Road when one of the Hoppers pointed to a pick-your-own apples' stand where quite a few people were gathered. She wanted to see if the children would like lollipops. The farmer at the stand couldn't help but wonder why adults dressed up as bunnies were passing by! It wasn't Halloween. It wasn't Easter. So, what were we doing? We explained our walk, told him about the rescue, and mentioned the little "party" held at our finish line. He was touched. He loved animals and wanted to help. He gave us a donation for the rescue and apples for the Hoppers. He was happy to hear of the rabbit rescue's existence in the Ottawa area. And the Hoppers were happy for the apples! Famished and thirsty, the sweet, fresh-picked apples were very much appreciated. All the Hoppers quickly agreed: these apples were incredibly delicious!!! Two paws and two ears way up for Apple Hill Fruit Farm. Thanks again to the kind farmer for the best apples we've tasted!

Next stop: Manotick Mews! Another 30 to 40 minutes or so, we were at the finish line! It was about 12:30 P.M. when we arrived. People were cheering and clapping. There were colourful balloons, great music and yummy smelling BBQ! One of the veggie dogs cooking on the grill was calling my name - I swear I could hear it! We all sat down, ate, drank lots of water and relaxed. It was so nice to see people gathered to help the rabbits of New Moon. The months of planning, the preceding days' frenzy and the blisters on my feet were well worth it! A big thank you to everyone who came out to support New Moon!


I browsed the booths... bake sale, kids' (of all ages!) games, raffle prizes, New Moon Rabbit Rescue products, Jasper's Spaw & Associates and National Capital Vegetarian Association's (NCVA) information kiosk. I stopped to enjoy Rachel McCully's lovely performance too. Before I knew it, it was time for me to hop on a bus and go back to the start line, where I had parked my car. Rideau Bus Lines Ltd offered their services for us, free of charge! No Hopper had to worry about how they would be returning to their vehicle after the walk.

I can say that this bunny slept very well that night. The day had been a success on many levels. Donations were raised, but so was awareness for the rescue and the situation of domestic rabbits! I look forward to next year's Bunny Hop for Hope. With wonderful supporters, sponsors and volunteers, I just know it will be as succesful as this year's event, if not more!