news headlines

BERLIN (Reuters) - German police
successfully resuscitated a dwarf
rabbit named Napoleon by breathing
through a ball point pen after he
passed out in a house fire,
authorities said Saturday.

Two officers were called to a Berlin
flat where firefighters had dragged
the unconscious rabbit's cage
outside. The officers opened
Napoleon's mouth with a pen and
breathed down it while giving the pet
a cardio massage, a police
spokesman said.

The officers then rushed Napoleon
by police car to a vet, who will keep
him for observation for a few days.

15 May 04

A bright eyed and bushy tailed shop assistant has been causing a bit of a stir in an Aberdeenshire town. Yes Bobby is proving a big
hit with customers and he's happy to work for no more than a few carrots.

Clearly this rabbit is a VIP at Pets Paradise in Ellon with his very own red carpet and hutch taking pride of place at the counter. With
good reason because Bobby is a bunny with money on his mind.

The cuddly hop assistant likes to take customers' money, credit cards and cheques and give them to pet shop owner Myra Stewart.

His taste for money is a big hit with the customers as well as tourists who travel from far and wide to see him. Bobby's raised more
than six thousand pounds for charity by banging his tin lid at customers for spare change.

And he's well loved by all the other animals in the shop so it's no surprise that Myra's turned down offers of big money from people to
buy him.

Rabbits take over man's home

October 21, 2004

A MAN in New Orleans who bought a pair of bunnies for company, ended up with more company than he could handle.

In less than a year, he had 73 rabbits. The man's name was withheld by the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals on grounds that he was
embarrassed enough already.

They chewed the furniture. They burrowed into chairs, couches and mattresses. They processed food faster than their owner could clean up after them.

Finally, he moved out and called his doctor for help, said SPCA Director Laura Maloney.

The doctor called the SPCA, which chased rabbits through the house for much of the day. Now - though a few have been adopted - it is asking area shelters for help.

"The rabbits were clean and healthy, even though the house wasn't," said Kathryn Destreza, director of animal services.

Maloney said the man was not cited.

"He was a very nice man who recognised he was in a situation where he needed help," she said.

The Associated Press

Pigeon adopts baby rabbits

11/11/2004 08:45 - (South Africa)

Cape Town - A pigeon at the Karmanel party farm at Joostenberg Vlakte near Kraaifontein is the proud "mother" of
seven rabbits.

The pigeon recently took the rabbits under her wing when the two rabbit mothers neglected their babies.

Amanda Nel, owner of Karmanel, said the pigeon has been keeping the rabbits warm for the past three weeks.

"The pigeon 'moved in' with them after the rabbits were born. The rabbits and pigeon live in the same cage.

"Rabbits do not make good mothers and the pigeon took over this task from the rabbits. I think she believes the baby rabbits are her own." (Editor's note: rabbits do make
wonderful mothers when left alone to raise their young)

Nel said it was quite possible because the rabbits and pigeon have been living together "in harmony" for the past few years.

"It is incredible to see how these two species have formed a tight family unit. Because of the pigeon mother, the rabbits will grow up because she looks after them all the
time. The strong bond between the rabbits and pigeon cannot be broken.

"The pigeon has become a mother to the seven rabbits and protects them as if they are her own. She never lets them out of her sight."

Two bird experts said it was the first time they heard of a bird adopting rabbits.

Hilton Pillay, a bird expert of Strandfontein, attributed this behaviour to the mothering instinct of the pigeon.

"Because it is breeding season for birds, they are reacting to this instinct."

Doug Harebottle of the unit for bird demographics at the University of Cape Town said some rabbits neglected their young, but this particular situation was exceptional
particularly because rabbits are mammals.

The couple have had Dory for three months

Ambulance driver Mrs Steggall immediately swung into action and rubbed a special gel into Simon's gums to try and
bring his blood sugar levels back up to normal.

But when that failed she rang 999 for paramedics who injected the BT engineer with medication to force his liver to
dump its store of glucose, which finally brought him round.

Ingrid Tarrant, Rabbit Welfare Association supporter and experienced rabbit owner, said the story of Dory came as
no surprise to her.

BBC News - Friday, 5 March, 2004

A giant pet rabbit who saved her Cambridgeshire owner's life has been honoured with a
special award.

Dory, a 1.5 stone rabbit, has been made the first ever honorary animal member of the Rabbit Welfare
Association.

Dory's actions saved the life of Simon Steggall, 42, of Warboys, when she jumped up on his chest as he
began to slump into a diabetic coma. The action alerted his wife Victoria to the emergency, which happened
in January this year.

Mrs Steggall, 32, thought he had simply fallen asleep after a hard week at work and it wasn't until Dory
started thumping on his chest and licking round his mouth that she realised something was terribly wrong.

'Rabbits misunderstood'

She said: "Rabbits are the most misunderstood of animals; people just dont realise how intelligent and sociable they are.

"Too often they are abandoned alone in a hutch at the bottom of the garden, forgotten and ignored, when in fact they make excellent house pets.

"Hopefully, rabbits such as Dory will help to raise awareness of rabbits and just how wonderful they really are."

Dory is the first animal to be made an honorary member of the association set up eight years ago.

'A great honour'

Mr Steggall said: "I don't know how she did it but Dory saved my life."

Mrs Stegall said: "It's a great honour. I can't believe it. I'm very impressed and so is Dory, though I had to help her fill in the application form."

Among the human members of the Rabbit Welfare Association are Toyah Wilcox and Ingrid Tarrant, wife of show host Chris.

The couple have had Dory, a three-foot rabbit, for three months, but she is not the first pet to respond when he has a diabetic reaction.

Giant rabbit marriage condemned

The RSPCA is hopping mad about a stunt in which two giant rabbits were married in a fake wedding ceremony.

Continental giant rabbits Roberto and Amy, who are both about 1 metre long, were dressed up in hats and veils. But
the animal charity called it "belittling" and said it sent out the wrong message about animals.

Annette Edwards of Worcestershire, who owns the rabbits, said the ceremony wasn't cruel and that the creatures were "very well looked after". A bowler hat was
placed on the head of Roberto, aged three, who is 1.6 metres long and is believed to be the biggest rabbit in the world. Amy was dressed in a veil and a wedding band
was put on her paw.

RSPCA spokeswoman Joanna Barr said: "This puts the wrong message across. Animals are not toys to be dressed up."

Rabbit Survives Hare Raising Toss from Car -
According to the Manchester Evening News in the
UK, a small lionhead rabbit (pictured right) managed
to survive being thrown from a speeding car! A
couple witnessed this from their balcony and ran
down to the street to rescue the little bunny from the
pavement. They took the rabbit to the vet for care
and then to the "Pets in Need" animal sanctuary. The
founder of Pets in Need stated, "she is a very lovely
little rabbit, very playful." She is now named
"Poppy" and has some determined people looking for
a good home she deserves.

Orkney Pink Rabbit

a new fashion accessory - the Orkney Pink Rabbit was recently launched in the UK by OCPRS (Orkney Celebrity Pink Rabbit
Suppliers). Claiming that the rabbits are naturally born pink due to their parents being fed vitamin supplements, this new fashion fad is
selling for 500 - 700 pounds each.

Launching the new fashion fad was Kerry Katona (ex UK pop singer) who made a right goose of herself by stating, "I've got a
husband now, so I don't need a rabbit." Great spokesperson!! Imagine how many celebs will purchase a little baby bunny & not "need
it" after the fad wears off! (just don't tell Paris Hilton!!)

Paris Hilton Buys Easter Buns

Good old Paris Hilton!! You can always rely on this one to do something stooopid. The infamous Hollywood animal collector
put Easter rabbit campaigners back 20 years by donning a wig a few days before Easter and purchasing two baby dutch
bunnies. She's called them Marilyn & Monroe. She then went home to have a huge party that the police had to break up.
Lots to learn Paris!!

BUNNY DISPUTE LEADS TO CATFIGHT

PENNS CREEK (US) - A custody battle over a pet rabbit ended in a cat fight between two women. Cylinda Petty, 26,and Rosemary Causey, 19, were both cited with harassment
following a scuffle over a bunny on April 10 2007. The fight erupted when Ms. Causey attempted to take the pet rabbit with her as she moved out of the Penns Creek home she
had shared with Ms. Petty. The women struck and scratched each other, both suffering minor head and neck injuries. Harassment charges were filed against both women and
the rabbit remained in the custody of Ms. Petty.

A group of rabbit lovers, distressed by a Council of Agriculture (COA) initiative to promote rabbit meat as a healthy and delicious addition to
the nation's diet, yesterday appealed to the agency not to put Thumper on the menu.

The rabbit owners, including members of Rabbit SOS, Taiwan's first rabbit rescue organization, made the call at a press conference held by
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lwo Shih-hsiung.

Lwo said he decided to take up the cause of the fluffy creatures after receiving a petition from a concerned rabbit owner.

"I have no rabbits myself. But they are my daughter's favorite animals," he said. "They are our friends, not something we take from the fridge to the oven."

Lwo said he will fight to amend the Protection Act to include rabbits as a pet that cannot be eaten, just like a cat or a dog.

Jeffery Chow of Rabbit SOS found it hard to accept the concept that one man's Fluffy might be another man's feast.

Rabbits are not a common food in Taiwan, said Chow, while they are popular as pets because they are quiet, clean and affectionate.

"It's wrong for the council to encourage people to eat rabbits when, for so many of us, rabbits are members of the family just like cats and dogs are for others," he said.

Melbourne - Fox Capital of the World

ABC Melbourne Radio Pet Show - 21 July 2007

"Melbourne is now the fox capital of the world, including London & Paris. There are now five foxes per square kilometre found in Melbourne
suburbs," Dr Hugh Wirth, RSPCA Melbourne

Wild hares at Milan's Linate airport seem to have only one thing on their mind, and their excessive mating and growing
numbers have blocked takeoffs, landings and radar systems.

Officials on Sunday mounted a daylight raid to keep these furry creatures off the runways, part of a twice-annual capture
to keep the airport population under control.

"There are always hares at the airport, the problem is that lately there are too many, and they cause problems with the
radar and sensors that monitor the airport," said Nicoletta Angioni, spokeswoman for SEA, the company that operates
Milan's airports.

Blowing whistles and waving their arms frantically, some 200 volunteers spooked the hares out of their holes and into
waiting nets. The animals (57 hares and four wild rabbits) were put in wooden crates and transferred to a wildlife
preserve, officials said.

The airport reopened after a hare delay of just a few hours.

Darling - Bunny lover

United Kingdom, 29 June 2007

Alistair Darling is Britain's new finance minister. He also has a pet rabbit called Bertie.

"It's the biggest rabbit you've ever seen. It must be three feet long," said one visitor to the Darling home.

Lonely Rabbit Calls Police

Guardian Online, United Kingdom, July 2007

The Guardian reported on a strange call to police. It seems police officers "forced entry into a home in a bid to help a woman heard crying only to find it was her rabbit who
had called for attention.

It seems the phone operators monitoring service connected to the house told the police they heard a woman crying and whimpering on the line. So when the officers were
unable to find a friend or relatives to assit they "demolished the door and frame and a large part of the surrounding wall and hallway." They found a large brown, lop-eared
rabbit with Dutch markings "hopping around the front door and whimpering."

So much for a distressed "woman" - the rabbit was a male named Humphrey. He had pulled the cord that phones the monitoring service while his owner was out shopping.

White Hare/Hair Campaign

23 July 2007 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LassUzs34E

Senator Chris Dodd is a candidate for the US democratic presidential election in 2008.

The YouTube link above is Chris Dodd's white hare/hair campaign video featuring Lancaster the bunny. It's quite funny!

Lancaster the bunny is a New Zealand whilte and was adopted from Lancaster, Pennsylvania animal shelter. Lancaster has
now found himself a new loving home away from the spotlight.

Rabbit farm denied permit

Leongatha, Victoria - July 2007

A high intensity rabbit farm destined for Leongatha, Victoria was denied a permit.

Originally approved by the South Gippsland Council, neighbours & animal rights groups took the matter further and objected in court.

The permit was denied on the basis of human health concerns in an area prone to flooding. Unfortunately, animal welfare was not the subject of permit denial.

The applicant was originally so confident that their proposal would pass, they already had two semi trailers loaded with a shed and cages on the property, ready to
assemble.

Firefighters save Maisey the bunny

31 January 2008 - Spalding Guardian

A rabbit that was trapped underground for more than five hours had to be rescued by firefighters.

Maisey, owned by Robert & Helen Maddison, got stuck in a tunnel five feet underneath the couple's garden. They heard their
nine-year-old pet struggling for breath at about 1.30pm but could not free her because she was trapped beneath tree roots.

Robert said: "I thought we were going to lose her. We didn't know what to do. We couldn't find where she was and we needed
help." The couple ripped up some plants and tried to dig Maisey out for two hours before starting to panic.

Robert (60) and Helen (50) telephoned the fire service for help and were amazed to see an engine turn up and a team of five
firefighters, followed by a sixth, set to work rescuing the rabbit. The team freed Maisey at 5.30pm after working for an hour and
a half under lights.

Helen said: "Without the firefighter's help I think she would have died down there. We owe them a big thank-you. I know people
might say it's just a rabbit but she's a member of the family."

Fossil finds are rabbit forebears

22 February 2008 - BBC News

Fossil hunters have found the remains of ancient mammals that were related to today's rabbits and hares.

The 53-million-year-old specimens consist of small ankle bones unearthed in Gujarat, central India. They belong to early examples
of an animal group called lagomorphs, which today comprises hares, rabbits and a hamster-like animal called a pika.

The oldest lagomorphs known before this were from Central Asia and date to between 40 and 48 million yars ago. The latest
finds come from clay beds in the Vastan lignite mine, north-east of Mumbai in Gujarat.