Eastern Shore Rabbit Rescue and Education Center, Inc. (ESRREC), headquartered in Rock Hall, MD, today announced it has been awarded a Program Development Grant from regional charity Get Pumped for Pets. The $4,000 grant will be used to spay and neuter 30 baby rabbits born in the aftermath of a large-scale rescue of abandoned pet rabbits in Caroline County.
Get Pumped for Pets is a 501(c)3 non-profit addressing the critical needs of community rescue organizations in Queen Anne’s, Kent, Talbot, Caroline, and Dorchester counties. Most of the grant funds are raised through a race/walk held every spring on Kent Island. This year marks the first time in its seven-year history that Get Pumped For Pets awarded a grant specifically for rabbits.
ESRREC, a nonprofit organization that provides temporary shelter and finds homes for abandoned pet rabbits, is the only rabbit rescue serving the Eastern Shore. Since it opened its Main Street shelter in April 2015, ESRREC has taken in 162 rabbits, facilitated adoptions for 96 rabbits, and spayed/neutered 105 rabbits.
“These funds are very much needed for an extraordinary situation that our volunteers have been dealing with this year,” said Cora Dickson, President of ESRREC. “We are so grateful to Get Pumped for Pets for helping us prepare these young rabbits for their forever families.”
In May, ESRREC collaborated with Caroline County Animal Control and Caroline County Humane Society on a rescue operation in Denton, MD. As a result, 50 domestic rabbits – 20 adult and 30 baby bunnies born shortly thereafter – were saved from living outside in dangerous, unhealthy conditions.
Despite their rough life outdoors, the rabbits (which became known as the “Denton Rescue Bunnies,” developing their own fan base on Facebook) rapidly grew accustomed to being handled, quickly learning to trust and even be affectionate towards humans. Now safely indoors, they will no longer fear for their lives in the face of extreme weather, predators, and disease.
Initially, ESRREC partnered with Caroline Humane to ensure that the Denton Rescue Bunnies received medical attention, including spay/neuter. ESRREC volunteers also assisted with adoptions for the adult rabbits through education and outreach events. In September, all of the baby bunnies were transferred from Caroline Humane to ESRREC, with many of them placed in temporary foster families.
The baby rabbits are expected to be available for adoption in late November/early December.