Rabbits are so frequently surrendered to shelters when owners become
overwhelmed by the demands of bunny parenthood. In fact, according to
the Humane Society of the United States rabbits
are actually the third most commonly surrendered animal in the United
States right after dogs and cats (and DCACC's intake numbers confirm this trend). This is due to the very common
misconception that rabbits have few needs and are easy and inexpensive
to care for which is untrue. Despite their small stature rabbits have
big needs to keep them healthy and happy!
Rabbits can make delightful pets but have very specific needs (see What a Bunny needs below) and can be costly and time consuming to care for. Rabbits should always be researched carefully before being brought into a home and should never be purchased as a gift. So please, this year for Easter, make your rabbit a chocolate one!
Not ideal as a "starter pet" rabbits have a lifespan of between 8- 14 years. To be happy rabbits require plenty of room to roam about and explore and prefer living in an exercise pen over a cage. To stay fit and trim rabbits should be provided with a constant supply of timothy hay, be offered small helpings of fresh greens daily (see mybunny.org for a list of healthy vegetables), and clean cool water should be provided in either a bowl or water bottle depending on the rabbit's preference.
Rabbits are smart and need a variety of enriching toys, and cozy hideouts to feel enriched and secure! And, of course, rabbits love company! Most rabbits enjoy a companion to live with and if not they need extra love and attention from their people.
Rabbits are excellent pets but require more care than many people expect. Interested in being a rabbit parent? Make sure you do your homework first so you and your new pet can live happy, healthy lives together!
For more information on rabbit care click on the links below:
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2018 is the year of the rabbit at DuPage County Animal Care &
Control. There are 20 rabbits currently receiving care through DCACC. 10
bunnies currently reside within the shelter and another 10 (mostly
youngsters) are in foster homes waiting to be old enough to find their
forever homes. With so many rabbits needing care and attention DCACC is
in need of volunteers experienced in caring for our small and furry
friends.
Right now the shelter is looking for volunteers to fill these positions:
Rabbit Cage Cleaning- Help
us keep our bunnies clean and healthy while they wait for their forever
homes. There is a current volunteer opening on Tuesday mornings.
Previous rabbit handling experience preferred.
Rabbit/ Small Animal Socializing-
Snuggle the small and furry population at DCACC and prepare them for a
lifetime of love with their new families! Current volunteer openings are on Monday evenings (5-7pm) and Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday afternoons (1-4pm). Previous small animal/rabbit experience
preferred.
Volunteers
commit to a weekly schedule. A six-month commitment of four hours a
month is required for adult volunteers. A three-month commitment of
four hours a month is required for children ages 10-17. Children ages
10-17 must volunteer with a parent at all times.
Interested in volunteering? Fill out a volunteer application!
Thank you to Red Door Animal Shelter, Bunnies United Network, House Rabbit Society, and Fur Angels for taking bunnies into your rescues when DCACC was in need!
DuPage County Animal Care & Control could not provide the life saving and compassionate care that it does without the help of our dedicated rescue partners that transfer animals from the shelter into their organizations when the shelter is at capacity and in need of help. This year the shelter has seen an increase in rabbits that have been surrendered (like in February when DCACC was caring for 30+ rabbits). We want to send a "BIG thank you to the rescues that step up and provide homes for the large rabbit populations at DCACC when we need them most!
Thank you to Red Door Animal Shelter, Bunnies United Network, House Rabbit Society of Chicago, Wonder Bunny Rabbit Rescue, and Fur Angels Animal Sanctuary for your endless love and dedication to providing caring homes for the bunnies in need at DCACC!
Summer is quickly approaching and DCACC staff and volunteers are gearing up to welcome kids back for the fun and exciting summer camps offered at the shelter. Each summer camp has a special theme designed to appeal to young animal loves and environmental enthusiasts!
To learn more about the summer programs offered and to download a registration form visit the shelter's Humane Education page. Feel free to contact our Humane Education department at humane.education@dupageco.org with any questions!
CAMP DESCRIPTIONS:
Animal Advocates (ages 10-13): June 11th - June 13th
For the animal-loving youth who wants to make a difference in the lives
of animals. Campers will get a behind-the-scenes look at animal sheltering,
learn about the inhumane treatment of commercially bred animals from The
PuppyMill Project, and practice detective skills as Animal Cruelty
Investigators! Through presentations, engaging activities, and animal
interactions campers will learn about animal welfare issues and become
empowered to make a difference in their communities!
Animal Doctors (ages 10-13): June 18th - 20th
Purrfect for campers who love animals and want to pursue a career in
veterinary medicine one day. Animal Doctors will give campers an inside
look at what veterinary medicine is all about! Hear from our Veterinary
Administrator and Veterinary technician, get a chance to perform a mock
surgery, and practice detective skills to find the source of a rapidly
spreading disease! Animal Doctors provides a fun, engaging look into the
world of veterinary medicine using hands on projects, guest speakers,
and games!
Land of the Lorax (ages 10-13): June 25h - June 27th
Is your child a nature nut? Land of the Lorax is the summer camp for
them! Campers will learn about environmental stewardship and wildlife
protection from SCARCE, Willowbrook Wildlife Center, and the Department
of Natural Resources. Engaging activities and games will have campers
thinking about their environmental footprint and how they can make a
difference in the world!
Fido Fluent (ages 10-13): July 9th - July 11th
Fido Fluent is sure to a be a pawsome time for the dog aficionado in
your family! Campers will learn about dog training, how to read dog body
language, dog jobs, and so much more! Through engaging games,
activities, guest presenters, and lots of hands on time with dogs
campers will leave camp fluent in dog and they'll have a great time
learning!
All Creatures Great and Small (ages 7-9): July 16th - July 18th
AniPals focuses on responsible pet care and the lifelong commitment of
owning a pet. Campers will learn about topics such as: animal
communication, humane animal care, and animal sheltering through
engaging activities, crafts, story time, and games! Daily animal
interactions will allow campers to practice their new animal skills!
AniPals (ages 7-9): July 23rd - 25th
AniPals focuses on responsible pet care and the lifelong commitment of
owning a pet. Campers will learn about topics such as: animal
communication, humane animal care, and animal sheltering through
engaging activities, crafts, story time, and games! Daily animal
interactions will allow campers to practice their new animal skills!
Petite Paws (ages 5-6): July 30th - July 31st
Petite Paws is a two day Mini-Camp designed for children to learn about
animal behavior, safe animal interactions, humane animal care, and so
much more through games, story time, and crafts! Campers will get to
practice soft hands by spending time with out shelter animals!
DCACC's Under Dogs have activated their Wonder Dog super powers to help raise funds for DuPage Animal Friends and homeless pets via the Human Race!
Craig, Bodhi and Blair have a challenge for you should you choose to accept it...
- Pick your favorite Under Dog (or all three if you can't decide).
- Make a donation of any size to their personal Human Race fundraising page (see below for links). Every gift matters!
- Spread the word! Share your favorite Under Dog's fundraising page(s) and tell your friends that you donated. Your gift might just turn your favorite Under Dog into a fundraising Wonder Dog. Or, even better...it could result in the life-saving adoptive home or foster home that Craig, Bodhi, and Blair need to bid "adieu" to shelter life once and for all!
Click to support "Blair's Blitz". Read more about Blair here.
Click to support "Bodhi's Bright Future". Read more about Bodhi here.
Click to support "Craig Cant' Wait". Read more about Craig here.
Under Dog to Wonder Dog is a program made possible by the generous donors of DuPage Animal Friends. Your donations make happily-ever-after possible for dogs like Blair, Bodhi & Craig!
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The DuPage Human Race is coming up soon! Register to run or become a fundraiser!
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