Help Watseka Rabbits-Join Red Door's Rabbit Brigade

So many rabbits! That's the story at South Suburban Humane Shelter in Chicago Heights. Volunteer crews from Red Door have been going on Sundays to clean the cages plus feed, medicate and pet the 170+ confiscated rabbits from the Watseka neglect case.

Thanks to all the Red Door volunteers who have been helping out: Janet, Meghan, Liz, Dena, Jackie, Toni, Julie, Debbie, Marcia, Lauren, Cheryl, Dayna, Ana, and Steve.

Thanks also to Indiana House Rabbit Society, Chicago House Rabbit Society, and Wisconsin House Rabbit Society for helping the Watseka rabbits.

Interested in joining Red Door volunteers one Sunday? Email info@reddoorshelter.org and we'll contact you about teaming up for a ride to Chicago Heights.

Watseka Rabbits Update--Good News, Bad News

The good news was that Buffalo Bob was happy to see Red Door volunteers again on Sunday. Six volunteers returned to South Suburban Humane Shelter in Chicago Heights to help care for the confiscated Watseka rabbits. And it was great to see all of our favorite rabbits.

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The bad news is that three more rabbits died this week, including a chocolate lop who passed away while we were there. Necropsy results are pending. While meds were reduced last week, they're back up now. Pinworms and respiratory infections are part of the current health issues, plus there is still coccidia and e. cuniculi being treated.

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Interested in joining the Red Door crew of volunteers one Sunday? Email us at info@reddoorshelter.org and we'll work out the rides.

Feeling Lucky?

Today is St. Patrick's Day and Lucky needs a bit of the luck from the Irish. This sweet dog was given up when his person got married--never mind that Lucky had been a faithful companion for 7 years.

Lucky is totally housetrained, knows how to sit and stay. He wants nothing more than to curl up on the floor by your feet and to be loved. He gets along with cats and other dogs--he is a total catch!

Do you know someone who might change his luck? He deserves it. If so, please email inquiries to: info@reddoorshelter.org

UPDATE: LUCKY'S LUCK IMPROVED AND HE'S SINCE BEEN ADOPTED!

3 Watseka Rabbits Want to Know....

"Hey, Red Door! When are you coming back to see us at South Suburban Humane Shelter?"

We'll be there again this Sunday, ready to clean. Thanks to people who are offering to join Red Door's crew of volunteers for the Watseka rabbits--you will be hearing from us about a meet-up place and time, if you haven't already.

Custody Fight for Watseka Rabbits Could Take 90 Days

The latest word on the custody fight for the rabbits confiscated in Watseka, IL: The appeal process could take up to 90 days. The whole idea of having to wait so long makes Lazarus take another nap.

Watseka Rabbits-Round 2: The Breeder Appeals

What? These rabbits--confiscated from the breeder in Watseka--can't believe it!

Breeder Paul Kraft has filed an appeal, asking for the return of at least 25 rabbits taken into custody by the humane investigators of South Suburban Humane Shelter.

No date for the next round of hearings has been set yet. But Kraft is receiving monetary donations from fellow breeders, who are hoping to appeal this case to the Circuit Court, moving it from Springfield back to the county where Watseka is. Kraft and fellow breeders are hoping for a more sympathetic judge there.

Meanwhile, the care of the 170+ rabbits--with more expected soon when the expecting moms deliver their litters--rests on Red Door, Chicago House Rabbit Society, Indiana House Rabbit Society, and SSHS.

Judge's Ruling in Custody Battle for Watseka Rabbits

This rabbit--formerly from Watseka-- takes a nap of relief: a judge has awarded custody of the confiscated Watseka rabbits to South Suburban Humane Shelter.

However, the breeder has 48 hours to appeal this decision and it is fully expected that he will appeal for at least the return of 25 Satin rabbits.

Velcro Dog

We can describe Annie as a collie-shepherd mix, but that doesn't begin to describe this dog's heart. Annie's owner passed away and so before she is even a year old, Annie found herself without a home.

Family members took her in, but it was just a temporary situation. Then Red Door was happy to help Annie out.

Right now Annie's in foster care with Red Door board member Emilie, who describes her "a true Velcro dog who just wants to snuggle." She's housetrained, friendly with dogs and cats, and ready to stick to someone forever.

Another Sunday with the Watseka Rabbits

Eleven Red Door volunteers returned to South Suburban Humane Center in Chicago Heights to work with the confiscated Watseka rabbits. One more rabbit had died overnight, but the remaining bunnies--all 174 of them--were happy to have some company.

We cleaned, fed, medicated, filled hay boxes and water bowls. And we gave out a lot of love. Most of the rabbits are thrilled for a few minutes of attention and a pet on the head. Plus some great hay! Red Door brought 50#s of Oxbow timothy hay on Sunday. At the rate the Watseka rabbits are eating, that will last about a day and a half.

The decision on the fate of these rabbits could come any day now. Red Door will post any news as soon as we hear. Even if the custody of all of the rabbits is awarded to SSHS, the breeder will still have 48 hours to appeal the decision.

Question from One of the Watseka Rabbits

"Hey! When is Red Door coming back to see us?"

We'll be there all day Sunday. Look for new information and photos.

More Watseka Rabbits Photos

Just to get in the mood for this Sunday--when Red Door volunteers return to South Suburban Humane Shelter in Chicago Heights--we wanted to relive those happy moments of cleaning, cleaning and cleaning!

Actually, our encounter with this little white rabbit was a happy moment. He took such a long, still nap and was in such a deep sleep, that everyone in the room suddenly feared the worst! He just wasn't responding at all--until he snapped out of his nap and wanted to know what all the fuss was about.

Watseka Rabbits Update

Tuesday, March 6, the Deptment of Agriculture held a hearing on the fate of the Watseka rabbits, currently held at South Suburban Humane Shelter. Two humane investigators testified about the conditions in which they found the rabbits [in an unheated, dark garage with no ventilation; feces two feet deep on the floor]. Also Susan Brown, DVM, testified to her examinations of the rabbits at SSHS.

The breeder has asked for 25 rabbits back--specifically, he is asking for the return of the Satins because they are "the most valuable" to him financially. He would like to continue to breed these Satins.

A decision is expected within the next five days. Meanwhile, Red Door will be going back to SSHS this Sunday to continue volunteer care for the 170 rabbits.

More Photos of the Watseka/SSHS Rabbits

Sunday was an exhausting but gratifying day. Thanks to Indiana House Rabbit Society, who worked on Saturday, and organized rabbits and supplies--making our 7 hour work day much easier. These rabbits have a long road ahead of them.

Rabbits, Rabbits Everywhere-Watseka Update

Nine volunteers from Red Door visited the confiscated rabbits at South Suburban Humane Shelter on Sunday, March 4th. Our goal was to help SSHS care for the rabbits. It took us almost seven hours to feed, clean habitats, and medicate! Some rabbits are in OK shape. Eleven have died since SSHS humane investigators seized the rabbits from an unheated garage of a breeder in Watseka, IL. Some face a slow recovery and others--like the red Satin baby bunnies here--will never completely recover from the neglect. All of them are blind, in either one or both eyes, from being housed in an inhumanely small cage. The bunnies had so little room they blinded themselves by being forced to rub up against the bars of their cage.

A hearing will take place in Springfield, IL on Tuesday, March 6th, to determine who will receive legal custody of the rabbits.

Why a Duck?

Because it was a Chicago blizzard outside....and the duck was definitely in trouble!

That's how Guthrie--a beautiful hybrid domestic mallard-black duck--ended up at Red Door. Matt and Mike were at work when a neighbor came to the door, reporting that "this black creature is running around under the parked cars." So, even though it was the biggest snow storm of the winter, they went outside and found Guthrie--a green-headed black duck who was not interested in their help. Instead he ran around under the cars, trying to elude their grasp.

When they finally caught him, he was a mess (Matt and Mike were a little worse for their troubles, too). His feathers have no oil, so he had no insulation from the cold. He also wasn't waterproof! The poor duck was shaking with cold!Our veterinarian says Guthrie was probably a pet--and either an ill-advised shampoo or too much hugging had stripped his feathers of oil.

Guthrie's been recovering in the shelter office and soon he'll be ready to go to a new home.

Anti-Cruelty Society Joins Red Door Fight Against Easter Bunnies

Chicago Sun-Times, February 28, 2007

177 Rabbits Seized from Watseka Breeder--Red Door Helps

You might have already seen it on the news: Humane investigators from South Suburban Humane Shelter in Chicago Heights visited a home in Watseka, IL. There, in an unheated garage, a breeder had 177 rabbits crammed into small cages. Many of the rabbits are pregnant; some already have litters.

The conditions were appalling: filth all over the floor, rabbits in dire need of medical help. Many of worst details--such as the disposal of dead rabbits--were not deemed suitable for television. If you want to see the unedited video, go to www.myfoxchicago.com and search "rabbits."

Thanks to the tireless work of SSHS, humane investigators were finally able to secure a court order to remove the rabbits. However, the breeder is going to court seeking the return of the bunnies--after all, it's going to be Easter soon and many of those rabbits were geared towards the pet store market.

After the rescue, SSHS phoned Red Door and asked for help. We invited other organizations to join us in helping in this large rehab effort: Indiana House Rabbit Society, Chicago House Rabbit Society, Wisconsin House Rabbit Society and Bsst Friends Animal Society in Utah.

Until the court case is settled, the rabbits must stay at SSHS. Many of the rabbits are ill with upper respiratory infections and other illnesses. A number of them are long-furred rabbits, like Jersey Wooleys, and are in desperate need of grooming. All of the rabbits need nail trims, ear cleaning and basic care.

Red Door is organizing teams of volunteers to go to SSHS on the weekends and clean the rabbits' cages, plus feed and groom the bunnies. If you are interested in joining a Red Door team of volunteers, please email info@reddoorshelter.org . We will be working out a schedule with the other organizations that are helping out.

SSHS needs more than volunteer power to help with this large scale rescue. Right now, information is still being compiled about what supplies SSHS needs. If you want to help Red Door secure the necessary supplies--equipment, hay, meds--please make a donation at www.reddoorshelter.org . Mark your donation for the "Rescued Rabbits." We'll keep you up-to-date on our efforts to help the bunnies, and on their progress. By the end of this weekend, we expect to post photos of our trip to SSHS.

Rabbits Rescued from Grim Conditions

When the Indiana House Rabbit Society contacted Red Door, asking if we could help take in a few rabbits from a poorly run barn shelter in southern Illinois, the house was full. We already had many, many rabbits to care for--and we know spring is always a popular dumping time for pet rabbits nobody wants.

But once we heard the conditions these poor rabbits had been living in--no heat, poor diet, crowded together in small cages, no medical treatment for multiplying medical conditions--we knew we just had to make room.

On February 17, Indiana HRS went to the Robinson, IL shelter and rescued 15 rabbits. Red Door took the two Flemmish Giants, sweet sisters who were being used as an ad hoc "petting zoo" in this shelter's barn. The photo shows Dawn of IN HRS holding one of them at the rescue site.

Thanks to Toni Greetis, Red Door board member, who drove through a snow storm to pick up Anka and Inga, and get them back to us. Thanks to Animal 911, who took the two girls in on a Sunday night from Toni, and thanks to Chicago Exotics who checked them out. After a couple of weeks of ear meds, they should be fine. Thanks, too, to Indiana HRS for organizing this rescue.

UPDATE: INGA, ONE OF THE GIANT SISTERS HAS FOUND A GREAT HOME! ANKA, THE OTHER SISTER, IS STILL WAITING FOR A PLACE TO CALL HER OWN.

No Teenage Rebellion Here

Check out these photos of Gwyneth at her foster home. Foster mom Judy Sutton Taylor reports that Gwyneth, one of the baby bunnies written about earlier, was a great house guest: she followed Judy's 4-year-old twins around the house and even made friends with the 80-pound family dog!

Gwyneth may be a teenage bunny, but she has perfect manners. Interested in fostering or adopting one of her siblings? There are three more teenage bunnies looking for some love--either on a temporary or permanent basis.

Thanks, Judy, for giving Gwyneth such a good start in life!

UPDATE: THANKS TO EVERYONE'S WORK, GWENYTH WAS ADOPTED IN MARCH!

Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot?

We don't think so. So we're thrilled when Red Door alums send in recent photos of themselves. What better way to ring in the New Year than remembering some dear Red Door friends?

Here are Katie and Roy, a bonded rabbit couple. deeply in love.

And then there's Redford and his new girlfriend Abbey [the former Tinkerbelle].

Redford celebrates the new year by tossing a little hay on his head.

And Timberlake, who's not even a Red Door dog--just the beloved rescue dog of a Red Door supporter.

Party On

Board member Toni Greetis and her husband Brian love their animals. So no wonder they're planning a New Year's party with all of them.

Toni submitted this photo to the Oxbow Hay Holiday photo contest and--no surprise--she won: a $100 gift certificate. Now that's something to celebrate.

The Not-So-Wild Goose Chase

It was that first week in December--after the sleet storm, after the snow had fallen and turned to ice--that Red Door went out to rescue a goose.

We'd noticed a gray goose hanging out in a large yard in Rogers Park. The goose was happy swimming in the backyard koi pond at night and standing under a pine tree during the day. It appeared to be a juvenile Snow Goose or a white-fronted gray goose...in other words, a wild goose. So every day we'd check on it, expecting it to take off as the weather began to turn.

But it didn't. When the sleet and snow hit, the goose stayed put. So we knew we had a problem.

Thanks to the help of Flintcreek Wildlife Rescue, the goose was rescued the first day after the snow fell. We were slipping around and stumbling through the snow, and the goose was running around the yard, stopping periodically to turn around and hiss at us.

Finally, he was captured and driven off to Flintcreek. Where we heard, a few days later, that the goose was probably a hybrid of a Chinese goose and a wild goose--which, in the world of wildlife rescue, made this a domestic goose instead of a wild one. We also learned that someone had clipped his wings, so he couldn't fly away.

Thanks, Flintcreek, for leading us on this you-know-what chase, and for re-homing the beautiful gray goose.

First there was one rabbit....

The Czarnecki familly in Wheeling phoned the shelter to say they had found a domestic rabbit outside. He was a beautiful lavender-silver color and very friendly. They agreed to foster Silverado, as they called him, until the shelter had room--a time period thought to be about two weeks.

Imagine their surprise when one morning seven days later "he" had had a litter of baby bunnies. Silverado became Honey Momma and the Czarneckis were very understanding that now the mother and babies couldn't be moved to the shelter for another six weeks.

Finally, the day arrived when they all came to the shelter and we couldn't resist taking of a photo of all the babies piled together. The mother, now named Lilac, is happy to be done with her baby-raising time and she's ready to move on to a new life with an adopter. The five bunny kids are looking for individual foster homes--are you interested in taking on a baby bunny for a short while? Red Door provides equipment and hay; the bunny provides the fun; and you give the love.

"Everybody into the Pond!" 2nd Annual Duck Rescue

Last fall, we had to rescue 3 Pekin ducks [the large white ducks] from the pond down the block. Someone had dumped them and because this breed can't fly, they would have been left behind when the mallards flew off. They never would have made it through the winter.
It was a fun two-day rescue, with people having to jump into the pond and then rustle up the ducks when they waddled into the nearby prarie plantings. We were so happy when a wonderful couple from Indiana adopted all three ducks as pets.

Fast forward to a week ago, when we get a phone call from someone at Indian Boundary Park: someone has dumped another white duck and can we rescue it?

That's when we started planning what is turning out to be our annual duck rescue. But before we could spring into action [and the pond], Mike and Tim--assistant manager and animal steward from the shelter--walked over to the pond and --OK, after a little splashing around in the water--brought back Frederick the duck. Another day's work, another duck saved.

And we're happy to report that the Indiana couple are coming the first week of November to pick up Frederick! Until he's swimming around in a small plastic "pond" in the shelter's office.

The Pelican Brief

After being with Red Door for over six years, Kristin thought she had heard everything. But the phone call tonight was a new one: someone said he had spotted a sick pelican around the Pratt Avenue pier. Could we tell him how to help?

Uh, no. But we could give him the number of Flintcreek Wildlife Rehabilation, who came to Pratt and the lake and rescued the pelican. Yes, it's a wild pelican--Flintcreek says that pelicans around Chicago aren't that unusual--and it is injured.

We're hoping for the best and know that the pelican is in good hands. To follow its progress, check out www.flintcreekwildlife.org

Spa Day Success

Red Door's last Spa-Di-Da Day, on Saturday October 21, was a huge success! Many Red Door alumni returned for nail trimming, grooming and glamour portraits. We were thrilled to see Eloise, Lexi, Penn, Fern, Casey and Nadia, Courtney, Rex, Nolan, Charisma, Benji and Charlie, and Rafe again. And we made some new friends, like these two bunnies who waited their turns by strolling around on their harnesses. The salad eating contest was a big hit, too--although some eaters turned shy while others ate the parsley in record time.

Don't miss the fun--next Spa Day is January 20.

You Say It's Your Birthday?

The Red Door cats were very happy to meet Mary Anne Clark and her friends, who came all the way from Hinsdale to the shelter. The reason was Mary Anne's birthday. She and her friends brought decorated paper bags filled with animal goodies: cat food, toys, rabbit hay, treats.

Thanks, Mary Anne--what a wonderful way to celebrate.

Oscar & Felix--Odd Couple Lucky Again

Several years Oscar and Felix, two orange tabby cats, came to Red Door. They were skinny and shy and they needed a new home. And then they found one together--until a few weeks ago, when their person was transferred to a new job in China

These two cats came back to Red Door --no longer skinny and not really shy, but definitely wondering where they would be going next. Fortunately, they didn't have to wait very long at all! In less than 2 weeks, Oscar and Felix were adopted into a new loving home.

Here's a snap of them relaxing at home and saying, "That was easy! Guess it's `cause we're so cute."

Foster cats enjoying summer vacation

At the beginning of the summer our Executive Director, Red Door put out a notice stating that all of our cats would love to have a summer vacation foster home away from the shelter. The response has been overwhelming so far! Many of the foster cats have even turned into adoptions. After fostering these cats for a couple of weeks, who could resist!

Here are the cats that have been fostered so far this summer: Pudge, McCallister, Naomi, Ash, Sting, Chrissie...and the list continues to grow! If you have some room in your home, how about giving a Red Door cat a break from shelter life. :)

Matt Gannon
Manager



How could anyone say no to a face like this?

Iris finds a home!

Last year, a teacher found a large black-and-silver rabbit in a waste basket at her school. The poor bunny was eating Snickers bars. The teacher brought the rabbit to Red Door and we named her Iris.

Iris is a sweet rabbit but because she turned out to have an asthma-like condition that required nebulizing, she always got passed over for adoption. Finally, a foster home was willing to give Iris a try--after all, one of their kids also got nebulized, so they were familiar with the process. Now we're happy to announce that Iris has found a permanent home!

Cat Adoption Update

Great news! Chrissie, a Russian Blue cat who was extremely shy, was adopted.

Gemini and Brendan, who were dumped at our front door about a month ago, also went to a new home. We're as thrilled as they are that they're staying together.

Alfie, the mellow gentleman that he is, has been getting along famously with his adoptive family.

Also, a couple of our residents that have been with us for awhile, Griffith and Tumu, found a home as well.


Kristin [Program Director] & Matt [Shelter Manager]

Buns on the Run

The first call came on the Saturday of the Fourth of July weekend: a rabbit had been found outside, living under cars. The caller said the bunny looked in bad shape, and with the temperatures hitting the high 90s, the poor guy didn't stand much of a chance. He went to Animal 911, the emergency clinic, for an evaluation.
Another call came the next day: A neighbor of mine phoned to say that 2 other neighbors--Wendy DeCarlo-Young of the D.O.G. Obedience Group and her husband Sam Young--had seen a white rabbit running under the trash dumpsters. They were in hot pursuit, but needed some back-up help. Tom and I headed down the alley. Sam thought of luring the bunny out with some parsley and that did the trick: when the rabbit stopped to eat some, she was scooped up.
We could see she was supposed to be a white rabbit, but her time under the trash dumpsters had left sooty gray markings all over her. She has a very sweet and outgoing personality; we named her Scarlett because while she had a bad day [or two or three] outside, she believes--just like Scarlett O'Hara--that tomorrow will be another day.
Today, both Scarlett and Gatsby, the name we gave the first bunny who was found outside, are doing well and thrilled to be living inside like pet rabbits should. Now they're ready for some new homes.

Marcia Coburn
President

End-of-July Shelter Events

The last weekend of July we will have a couple of fundraising events for the shelter. Saturday, July 29 will be another one of our quarterly Spa-Di-Da Days, in which cats, rabbits and guinea pigs can enjoy some freshening up.

On Sunday, July 30th from 10am - 3pm at 6701 North Rockwell St. our generous volunteers the Brewers have offered to host a garage sale at their home to benefit the shelter. We're still looking for items to sell, and people to shop!

More information about both events, as well as other upcoming events, can be found on the shelter's website:

http://www.reddoorshelter.org/events.php

Thanks for coming out to support Red Door.