Yuki is a beautiful English Spot male who was found abandoned outside in an apartment complex in November of 2008. A kind resident at the complex (we'll call her "Ms. D") tried, with no success, to capture him in a humane trap. But she didn't give up. She figured out his meal schedule (at dawn and after dark), put food out in multiple places for him, and contacted www.theRabbitResource.org, the Upstate New York Chapter of the House Rabbit Society.

A chain of e-mails began, and a schedule for food replenishment and trap checks was set. My husband and I met with Ms. D at the complex whenever we could, and she showed us all the places Yuki had been seen. Knowing that rabbits are creatures of habit, we followed the tracks (thank goodness for the snow!) to understand his daily routes. We were certain that Yuki lived in the overgrown area of the property where there were many nooks for small animals and birds to hide in.

For two weeks, we made regular deliveries of hay, carrots, dandelion greens, and other rabbit food to Ms. D. We put hay on the floor of the trap and covered it with towels to keep Yuki out of the elements in case he ended up being trapped for more than few hours. Ms. D checked the trap twice daily and put fresh food, and we took over on the days she was too busy. But Yuki was so leery of this "suspicious" box, even the most irresistible treat (banana) could not get him to go in. His tracks in the snow came to the trap and just went around it! In addition to the trap, we left food in hidden corners and under the evergreen bushes so that Yuki could eat discreetly. We did everything we could think of to help him stay alive. Every morning and night, we checked our e-mails and felt encouraged when Ms. D reported Yuki sighting.

Even though we were keeping him fed, time was running out: the weather was becoming less and less accommodating, some residents in these pet-friendly apartments let their dogs out unleashed, and the property was near a major road.

On Saturday before Christmas, the day after the first major snow storm, we headed out to shovel the snow around the trap and put fresh food out for Yuki. No bunny tracks in the snow meant he had not come out to eat that morning. We walked around, hoping to see any sign of him. And finally, in the overgrown area we stumbled upon a freshly dug tunnel in the knee-deep snow, and bunny tracks on the other side of it-he's alive! We immediately started putting food near the tracks: fresh hay, carrots, and parsley. And there he was. It seemed he had appeared from nowhere. He must have been hiding in one of the snow-covered bushes nearby. Not wanting to scare him, we sat down and watched him eat ravenously right in front of us. And VERY quickly, we caught him with our hands, wrapped him in a blanket, and went into the entrance hall of Ms. D's apartment building.

After we put Yuki in the carrier, we called Ms. D on her cell phone to tell her the wonderful news. She was out, but not far, so we waited for her return. Needless to say, she was ecstatic to see the bunny safe and "contained"! We couldn't believe how relaxed Yuki seemed in the carrier: he almost looked relieved.

We adopted Yuki after fostering him for a month. He is gentle and very friendly. He loves to be petted and talked to, and returns the favor by licking (grooming) our clothes. His litterbox habits are immaculate. He is very expressive when he is happy, running around and doing very impressive twists and jumps in his huge pen-he is 5 ½ pounds of pure joy!

Chapter members, Rochester, NY

Nimbus and Snowflake (formerly Tink) adopted by my friend/petsitter Carol. They get along great with her two dogs and kitty!

BoomBoom is doing just super. Every night when we have him out we are amazed at just how fun and affectionate he is. We've both spent many an hour just sprawled out on the floor, showering him with attention. And he is always just so happy to see people. We just can't get enough of him. BoomBoom was also something of a lifesaver this past spring. Our lop Pigwidgeon was hospitalized over at Cornell for a week with severe anemia and needed a blood transfusion. BoomBoom fit the bill as a large, young rabbit so we took him on down there and he donated blood and our Pigwidgeon was able to pull through.

Dear David, It is so good to hear from you. Jack and I think of you often and remind Bella of her wonderful foster dad. Bella is doing great; we love her more each day. There have been many changes in our home in the past few months. On September 25th, we adopted a small, white, mini rex bunny from a local dog rescue organization. Potter was found hopping down Main Street with another rabbit. A local police officer picked them up and brought them to the shelter. It is believed that Potter and his friend escaped from the home of a “hoarder”— a woman that had a multitude of animals that she could not care for. At any rate, our little jail bird went into foster care. On his first night at his new place, Potter was attacked in the middle of the night by another rabbit being fostered there. He has several nicks to his ears and was given stitches in his right ear. When we adopted him the stitches had been in for nearly 6 weeks! Our vet had to cut the stitches out of the scar tissue. He now has small holes in his ear. To make light of the situation, we joke that he could wear earrings, but we really are saddened by his foster parent's negligence. They claim they didn't know anything about rabbits. Bella came with us to meet her new brother. For the most part, they were indifferent towards one another and we were optimistic. Potter very much wanted to sniff her and touch her, but Bella ignored him. For two weeks, we tried several bonding techniques - to no avail. Bella became more and more aggressive during our meetings. The house is now divided in two with a strong gate separating our snuggle bunnies. Bella and Potter often lie on separate sides of the gate in an effort to get close to one another, but they don't do well when in the same room. We're happy to have a bigger family even if we have to spend time with them separately. Bella is still a sweetheart. She will sit for hours for nose rubs and bunny massages. She especially loves her dad - even grooming him herself after he's kissed and nuzzled her. You are more than welcome to use any pictures and e-mails I've sent you for the website. I will attach a few new pictures. I hope all is well.

Cole`s forever family, Chiyo and Randy, came to meet him and take him home to his new bride Bella.

Nancy,

Hard to believe it has been a year with our bunnies! We are so glad we adopted a bonded pair ... our friend Mary has been trying to bond 2 rabbits for several months, with no success. Moe & Trixie can keep each other company all day. We have sent some pictures ... hope they go through okay. They have one room that they have taken over ... we have tried to supply them with more "toys" and things to keep them occupied. They have been spending more time in their condo, especially when they rest during the day.

We haven't been away for an extended period this year, but when we go away for the weekend our neighbors have been coming in to feed and water them. There are 3 kids in the family, so the bunnies get extra treats when they "rabbit sit". They all want to feed them ... and of course Moe & Trixie are very friendly when they are getting treats! We are continuing to enjoy them and we think they are happy here. Al always tells them they don't know how good they have it. Thanks again for taking care of them while they were waiting for us to adopt them.

Marcia, Al, Mitchell & Whitney