Chapter 48 - Fire!
Enzo and Merlot watched the TV in horror as rows of houses went up in flames. Entire cities were being wiped out in Southern California, due to fires whipped into a frenzy by 100 MPH winds. It was a disaster on an unprecedented scale.
“Dat bad!” thought Enzo. “Do we have to worry?” he wondered. Dad reassured his buns that they were safe. “Don’t worry, we are far away from the fire.” Enzo asked, “But what about the rabbits who live der? Are dey OK?”
Just then, Enzo got a message from Duffy, his buddy on the east coast. Duffy had been watching the same thing. “I’m worried about the rabbits in California! Did you see the post from the Bunny World Foundation?” Enzo clicked on the link. The post read:
“NUMEROUS BWF FOSTER HOMES EVACUATED! - OUR MEMBERS ARE SCATTERED IN LOCAL SHELTERS, CONVENTION CENTERS, AND CHURCHES, WITH BUNNIES STUFFED IN CARRIERS IN NEED OF RESCUE AND SUPPLIES! Our phone is ringing OFF THE HOOK with reports of 'STRANDED' buns found EVERYWHERE! It’s BUNPOCALYPSE! WILL YOU HELP?!”
Things were dire. Enzo remembered Abigail’s motto, “Even the smallest one can change the world.” It was time for him to spring into action and rally the rabbit troops! “Dad, call Auntie Heather at The Rabbit Haven. She know everyone. She can help!”
Dad contacted Auntie Heather. Indeed, she had known Lejla at Bunny World Foundation for many years. Both of them had been rescuing rabbits for 30 years. Lejla was on the ground in the heart of the catastrophe, located between the Palisades fire and the Eaton fire. “It’s chaotic here,” she reported, “Many of my fosters have lost their homes and are in shelters and can’t care for their rabbits. Rabbits are being found, injured and burned. Shelters are slammed. I’m trying to set up as many new foster homes as I can to take the rabbits. I need foster kits to get people set up to foster!”
Dad and Heather posted notices on Facebook. The rabbit community responded quickly by donating money and supplies. Rabbit Haven volunteers like Erica put together new-foster packs and drove down south to deliver them. Heather submitted grant requests to Petfinder and Petco. Sherwood Pet Health sent a shipment of rabbit food. Enzo rallied the team at Small Pet Select and over the weekend, they put together individual-sized foster packs of food, litter, and hay and rushed them out to Southern California. The following week, they’d step up the effort on a larger scale.
Auntie Heather began searching for additional foster space up and down the west coast, in anticipation of needing to take more rabbits in the coming weeks.
“OK, Enzo. The wheels are turning. The rabbit community is stepping up!” Enzo was relieved, but not done. “Dad, we tell everyone. Every little bit helps!” Dad agreed, “OK, Enzo, let’s do that.”
BE A RABBIT HERO
We can’t all be there, but we can still help. Here’s how:
SEND SUPPLIES (See below for items needed)
Order from Chewy or your go-to supplier. Remember, small bags of food/litter are better than a large bag since she’s not able to divide large bags into individual sizes. Send to:
Lejla Hadzimuratovic
Bunny World Foundation, Inc.
1110 N. Virgil Ave., Suite 413
Los Angeles, CA 90029
Or, visit their Amazon wish list and order items to be sent to them directly:
DONATE MONEY:
Donate what you can. Even $10 helps!
FOSTER A RABBIT:
If you can foster a rabbit, even one, let them know. If you’re somewhere on the west coast, we can arrange transportation. Contact BWF at info@bunnyworldfoundation.org or Heather at director@therabbithaven.org or 831.239.7119.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Visit www.bunnyworldfoundation.org
IMMEDIATE NEEDS LIST:
Litter (Lots of rabbit litter!)
Litter pans
Large carriers with top opening (for rabbit moms with litters and bonded pairs)
Exercise pens
Fleece to line ex-pen floors
Food and water dishes
Revolution or advantage flea treatment
Miracle nipples
Fox baby rabbit formula
Silver Sulfadiazine Cream (for burns)
Rolls of gauze
Thank you!
Enzo sees the fires on TV and springs into action to help rabbits.
Would you like to read more of Abigail's blogs? See them all HERE.
