ROGERS PARK — It took 30 volunteers 3 days to rescue 5 abandoned child bunnies somebody launched in Rogers Park over the weekend.
Late recently, volunteers found out more than a lots child bunnies and their mom had actually been launched by the Metra tracks near the crossway of Farwell and Ravenswood opportunities.
A group of volunteers arranged by Red Door Animal Shelter was rapidly activated to save them, said Toni Greetis, vice president of the West Ridge animal shelter that is the city’s only bunny rescue.
Over the course of 3 days, 30 volunteers travelled through 2 blocks of thick foliage near the Metra station, looking for the bunnies. They cleared thick underbrush with machetes so they might lay bird nettling along the border, then attempted to surprise the bunnies so they’d run towards the webs and get stuck, Greetis said.
“Rescuing rabbits is not an easy task,” Greetis said. “The babies are really, really fast and they slip through your hands. This was definitely the worst terrain we’ve ever dealt with, but we were really blessed that we had so many volunteers because we really needed the extra people, given it was such a large territory.”
Sadly, the mom bunny was discovered dead near the tracks, and all 5 or the rescued infants were covered in ticks, Greetis said. The volunteers weren’t able to get extremely near the train tracks due to safety issues, avoiding them from saving more of the bunnies, Greetis said.
Volunteers are continuing to keep track of the location to see if any of the other missing out on bunnies show up. People who live close by can call the shelter at 773-764-2242 if they find any.
Credit: Provided//Red Door Animal ShelterVolunteers called the rescued bunnies Short Line, Trax, Choo Choo, Smoke Stack and Caboose.
Those child bunnies are amongst numerous undesirable family pet bunnies that individuals launch each summertime when they no longer wish to look after them, Greetis said. Red Door Animal Shelter has actually rescued 24 bunnies this year alone.
Volunteers at the shelter neuter or spay and look after the rescued bunnies till somebody has the ability to adopt them.
“We spend a considerable amount of time and effort doing whatever is necessary to keep them comfortable and happy for the rest of their lives,” Greetis said.
Even though some bunnies live outside, previous family pets battle to endure in the wild, Greetis said. They deal with all sort of threats, consisting of heat direct exposure, predators, cars and trucks and an absence of access to food and water.
“People need to understand that these are domesticated animals, and they cannot survive in the wild,” Greetis said. “I think people innocently believe that they can dump rabbits outside because they see wild rabbits, but an abandoned pet rabbit will die a horrible death. They usually can’t even survive a week on their own.”
Credit: Provided//Red Door Animal Shelter
Credit: Provided//Red Door Animal ShelterIt’s typical for family pet shops to offer bunnies around Easter, without offering much details about how to look after them or avoid them from breeding. This leads to an increase of abandoned bunnies in the summer, when households choose they can no longer keep the family pets they purchased or battle to accommodate their many unexpected offspring, Greetis said.
“We spend all summer rescuing Easter bunnies,” Greetis said. “It’s really common for them to be dumped around one or two months after Easter, and we’re around that mark right now. In this situation, I assume somebody bought the mother without knowing she was pregnant and released her with her babies after she gave birth.”
There are much more secure alternatives for households who can no longer look after their family pet bunnies, Greetis said. People can call Red Door Shelter or the city’s Animal Care and Control in order to relinquish their animals without running the risk of the family pets’ lives.
“Please don’t dump them outside, they cannot survive,” Greetis said. “If you see one that’s been abandoned, you should report it.”
Domesticated, family pet bunnies have various coat colors (white, orange, black, spotted) and are normally bigger than wild bunnies, Greetis said. Some types look comparable to wild bunnies, however Red Door volunteers can discriminate by analyzing their sizes and shape, Greetis said.
Anyone can report an abandoned bunny to Red Door by calling 773-764-2242 or emailing [email protected].
Credit: Provided//Red Door Animal ShelterPeople can help Red Door Animal Shelter by contributing their money or time. If you’re interested in assisting with the rescue efforts, specialists at the shelter will help train you, Greetis said.
The shelter constantly require more individuals to adopt bunnies. Red Door offers assistance and details so newbie bunny owners can learn to effectively look after their brand-new family pets, Greetis said.
Rabbits make “great companions” since they’re smart, personalized animals with “quirky, funny personalities,” Greetis said.
“They make wonderful city pets. They’re kind of similar to cats, in that they’re clean and quiet and they use a litter box. But they’re also kind of like dogs in that they seek out attention. They like to be pet, they like to play with toys,” Greetis said. “There’s a misconception that they’re stupid, but they’re incredibly smart. They’re always doing something goofy and they’re bossy little animals.”
To learn more about Red Door Animal Shelter’s efforts to help bunnies, visit their website.
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