Watch Red Door Animals on Oprah Winfrey Show May 6th!

Watch Red Door rabbits on The Oprah Winfrey Show airing May 6th on your local ABC-TV station. Thanks, Oprah, for the wonderful show about amazing animals! Thanks, too, for highlighting the wonderful human-animal bond. And thanks, too, for inviting rescued rabbits from Red Door to come see you.

Hooray for Savannah!!

After a year at Red Door, a failed relationship and a few foster homes, Savannah the dwarf is finally bonded and adopted! She met her new husbun, aptly named Bun, last Sunday. Thursday morning I received this message:

"I am very pleased to report that Savannah and Bun are officially
bonded! Things changed this afternoon when they cuddled and
groomed each other! Bun even let Savannah have her way with him.
Her Humpalump (Savvy's stuffed guinea pig toy) seemed to bring
them together. It started with Bun grooming Humpalump, and then
Savannah. Thank you for everything! Both bunnies seem
very happy."

Thank you to all the volunteers who help turn Savvy from a sassy dwarf (is that redundant?) into a sweet princess.

Consider becoming a Red Door Foster Home

There are a lot of great animals at Red Door that could use a "break" from shelter life. A couple of our cats, Gerri & Brenna, for example have been putting on a lot of weight and could use a foster home that would be able to encourage play and excercise. We are also always looking for foster homes for many of our rabbits, and potential foster homes for any dogs that find their way to Red Door. Check out the website or call the shelter for more details!

FINALLY!

Monmouth, NJ man fined $2K for releasing pet rabbit into wild

Thursday April 09, 2009, 6:01 PM


A Monmouth County man was fined $2,000 today for releasing his family's pet rabbit into the wild, a practice animal experts fear may be repeated by others who buy bunnies, chicks or ducklings at Easter, then decide they can no longer care for the animals.
Jong Park, 51, of the Morganville section of Marlboro, was charged with the disorderly offenses of abandonment and failure to provide proper food, water and shelter, said Victor "Buddy" Amato, chief animal cruelty officer for the Monmouth County SPCA.
Amato said he filed the charges after interviewing family members, who said they released the rabbit, named Hope, after she grew too big for her cage.

Neighbors alerted authorities after they spotted the white rabbit in the woods where she was abandoned about three weeks ago, Amato said.

Suffering from severe dehydration and tick infestation, Hope was rescued three days ago, Amato said. The bunny, weighing about 10 pounds, should have been about 5 pounds heavier for her age, he said.

"This was not a gray cottontail. This was a domesticated white rabbit," Amato said. "It is amazing it survived a couple weeks in the woods. This animal should not have survived. Any kind of predator could have gotten it."

The family adopted the bunny last Eastertime from a friend whose pet rabbit had a litter, he said.

The family did not return a message left at the home.

Animal experts and health officials have long warned families against buying or adopting rabbits, ducklings or chicks, particularly at Easter.

"At Easter, it's all cute and fine and good, but when they get big, what are they going to do with it?" Amato said.

"The dumping of unwanted, domesticated farm animals along our roadways or in our parks is cruel and thoughtless treatment as they cannot take care of themselves and either starve or get injured by a motor vehicle," said Ella Boyd, public health coordinator for the Ocean County Department of Health and a licensed veterinarian. "It is sad and unnecessary."
Hope will be offered for adoption when she reaches her appropriate weight, Amato said.

Park will have to address the charges in municipal court.

Red Door Loves Betty White!

When Betty White came to town for a benefit for the Museum of Broadcast and Communication, Red Door volunteers Lou and Steve were happy to meet with her and thank her for her generous support of Red Door. White, who is an outspoken for animals, will always be a true golden girl in our book.

Raffle Winners!

Here are our 2009 Spring-to-Life Raffle Winners!

Grand Prize: Marlene Baer
First Prize: Dawn Anastasiou, winning ticket sold by Janet Briner
Second Prize: Neelam Lakhani, winning ticket sold by Caeley Harihara
Third Prize: Amy Schreiner
Fourth Prize: Charlie Propsom, winning ticket sold by Karen Wechsler

Top ticket seller: Mary Rodovich, who sold 760 tickets! Other top sellers include Lisa Day, Gia Gallegos, Cathy Cifonelli, Michael Janecek, Josie Perez, Beverly Sosa,Joy Schochet, Janet Briner, Ted Dorion, Ruth Bruch, Liz Biddick, Donald Kaminski, Joanne Ellis,Diane Markgraf, Beth Stern, Michael Figeroa, Chicago Exotics Animal Hospital, and H. Garvin.

And top donors to the Spring-to-Life rescue are Tara & Chris Carmichael, and Dolly Tong.

Thanks to everyone who helped the animals!

Love Letters

Dear Staff and Volunteers at Red Door:

It is hard to believe that it is now almost 4 1/2 years since I adopted "Jezebel" from the Red Door Shelter. I am very happy to report that "Jezzie" (as I call her) continues to be a happy and healthy feline and the joy of my life. She has achieved some remarkable milestones in the last year:

1. She now lets me brush her and pet her anywhere in my apartment, instead of just on her "safe" living room chair.

2. She purrs loudly whenever I pet her or brush her.

3. She jumps on my lap now, and likes me to brush her and pet her while sitting in my lap.

4. In the last few months she finally got comfortable enough to sleep on my lap! She even grooms herself on my lap! I will peek over my book to see her leg poised in the air as she licks herself. She no longer "minds" if I watch her take a bath. (Previously, if she caught me "watching" her she would immediately stop grooming.) I must say that there is nothing cuter than the sight of a cat washing her face!

5. Her most recent milestone occurred just two days ago: she stayed with me in bed and settled down right next to me, purring continuously. She stayed with me all night!!!! This is a major milestone!!!!! Before this momentous occurance, if I so much as moved while she was sitting in my lap she would run away. This time she stayed with me! Hooray!!!

I have had a cat in my life since I was two years old, but I still think Jezzie is the prettiest cat I've ever had. She has retained her sleek appearance and I sometimes imagine I see some "Oriental" genes in her face and physique, somewhat reminiscent of a Siamese or Burmese.

I pretty much had to teach Jezzie how to "play", but although her favorite toys are crumbled paper and dangling shoe strings, I will often hear her "galloping" through my apartment like a maniac. It is extremely cute! She also loves heights, and enjoys jumping on top of bookshelves and the refrigerator. I invite her to "follow" me into the basement to "help" me with my laundry, but although she has been down there with me on a few occasions, generally she seems to prefer to stay in her own "safe" apartment.

I can watch Jezzie for hours and be entertained and delighted, for I find cats endlessly fascinating. I have provided Jezzie with a loving home and a secure environment, but I got the better deal! Jezzie brought me joy, love, companionship and continuous entertainment. I love her dearly!

I will always be grateful to Red Door for the "gift" of Jezzie. Keep up your good work and thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Sincerely,

Anita (proud companion of "Jezebel".)