Happy New Year from BWF & Last Chance to Make a 2014 Gift

    
Dear BWF Friend:

2014 has been a bittersweet year at BWF. We have exceeded internal expectations, witnessed miracles, celebrated successes and experienced some heartache along the way to a very successful year of rescues and rabbit advocacy.

There is a reason why CBS Los Angeles included BWF in their 5 top choices of “Best Volunteer Opportunities For Animal Lovers in Los Angeles.”

BWF continues to be one of the strongest advocates for domestic rabbits and a powerful influence in the Los Angeles area. Our Board Members, Volunteers, Fosters, Transporters have gone above and beyond the call of duty for yet another year to ensure the delivery of many babies to safe, loving, ‘furever’ homes!  BWF takes this opportunity to give sincere thanks and gratitude to all who have touched BWF in a positive way and lent a helping hand.

Due to the City Crises where 100+ rabbits have been impounded we have opted for an end of year message that will preclude our official newsletter to be published in early 2015. This message is also an opportunity for you to give a voice to the voiceless through a generous donation that will continue to fuel many more milestones similar to those summarized in this message. 

Our January 2015 Newsletter will include the following stories of miracles and 2014 milestones:

• Throughout a six and a half year journey over 5,000 bunny rescues to look back on.
• Illegal animal traffickers minimized and kept at bay.
• BWF Foster Program successfully expanded and adoptions peaking.
• A record 70 bunnies successfully rescued in December only!
• BWF intervention on horrific breeding operation of 127 Rabbits in Sherman Oaks (Califa)
• BWF intervention on horrific breeding operation of 100+ rabbits in Sherman Oaks (Magnolia)
• BWF intervention on horrific breeding operation of 100+ rabbits in Westchester.
• Through stern criticism of failed efforts of Los Angeles Animal Services (LAAS) and multiple trips to City Hall and attendance of the LA City Commission Meetings, BWF brought about an evolution to LAAS collaborating with BWF on most recent breeding intervention.
• Whole Foods Campaign / BWF Advocacy Efforts and Protests – to STOP Butchering Bunnies.
• Special Needs bunnies BWF helped survive against all odds – Scooter, Peter Parker, Charlotte, to mention just a few. [See Scooter Before AND After]
• Blizzy, a disabled bunny, the new ambassador to End Animal Testing Campaign.
• A Special Tribute to Minerva, the bunny who touched million hearts.

 
What’s Next on the BWF Agenda?  Our focus and new campaign in 2015 will include a New Program “Equity & Equality for Rabbits” to ensure that Rabbits are protected under the law and granted the same rights as cats and dogs; to stop rabbit overpopulation by regulating commercial rabbit breeders and by enforcing spay/neuter laws; and to make the City of Los Angeles the FIRST city to enact such legislation!
 
The challenges we faced in 2014 will continue in 2015, so we ask you to please remember BWF in your holiday gift plans. Your year-end tax-deductible donation will make a positive difference as we head into the New Year. Donations can be made via Givezooks or via PayPal. Any amount is greatly appreciated and adds up.  So, please, fellow bunny lovers....Can you slip a little something in our bunnies' stocking? 

If you’d like to make a donation directly to our vet for our $4.5k outstanding medical bill, please call Northwood Animal Hospital at (949) 559-1992. They accept $100+ donations on BWF only. 

 

Our New Year Wish? This morning we received a call from North Central Animal Shelter (LAAS) asking us to help this beautiful  Rex bunny (A1527883, see above) that someone dyed into blue and pink, hurt her eye (which will need enucleation) and dumped at the shelter.  Our vet is ready to do the eye surgery on Friday, January 2^nd.  Will you help us get this girl out to safety and facilitate her surgery which is estimated to cost $1,500?  Once again, you can donate to the vet or BWF directly. 
 
Thank you! All of us at BWF are grateful for your help and support in 2014 and we wish you and your loved ones a Safe and Hoppy Holiday Season and a Wonderful New Year! 
 
~BWF
 
Bunny World Foundation (BWF), is a non-profit 501(c) 3, ALL-VOLUNTEER, animal welfare organization founded in 2008 in LA, California. Its mission is to combat animal cruelty, illegal animal sales, exploitation and neglect of all animals, through rescue efforts, public education, research, investigations, legislation, special events, and media attention. BWF has rescued over 3,000 unweaned baby bunnies from Santee Alley, LA Fashion District and 2,000 from other predicaments. Please visit BWF Website for more information. 

69 Buns Rescued by BWF in December ONLY! Will you help us HELP them by making a Tax-Deductible Year End Donation?

BWF is pleased to announce that in the last THREE weeks we have been able to pull 35 + 18 = 53 bunnies from a death row from North Central City Shelter (Los Angeles Animal Services) including two moms and their litters.  We are pulling 7 more TODAY!   That will bring the number of bunnies pulled from this horrific hoarding situation to 60!

This month we’ve also taken 9 buns from different predicaments including 3 from San Bernardino Shelter and 2 Santee Alley Babies. That’s 69 buns in December! Yes, SIXTY NINE is the magic number! ;)

Here’s WHY there were 100 bunnies at North Central earlier this month: https://www.facebook.com/125339407504490/photos/a.357601647611597.78248.125339407504490/817247441647013/?type=1&theater

Despite the fact that we are ALL Volunteer organization, we’ve filled the quota to relieve the city shelter enough to keep ALL buns alive over the Holidays!  We did it!  You did it! Our Fosters / Volunteers / Transporters did it!  But, it was HARD work to screen, interview, transport, show up at the adoption events, and MORE!

We had FOUR adoption events and several private appointments in just 7 days and several private, but since finding A+++ permanent homes allows us to save more lives, we are happy to make bunnies both happy and hoppy!  All’s good and the Bunny God in Heaven smiles!

PLEASE don’t forget to make your Yearly Tax-Deductible Year End Donation to help us continue this important work. We are ALL Volunteer organization and every act of kindness counts! NO donation is too small!

LINK TO DONATE:http://www.bunnyworldfoundation.org/donate/

Thank you for reading and sharing our posts! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

~BWF

 P.S. Photo Courtesy of Scooter & Peter Parker aka The Parkers!

Equity & Equality for Rabbits!

Please join us THIS TUESDAY, August 26 at 10:00 am at the Los Angeles City Hall to request that RABBITS BE PROTECTED UNDER THE LAW AND GRANTED THE SAME RIGHTS AS CATS AND DOGS! Let's make history! Let's make the City of Los Angeles the FIRST city to enact such legislation! Please RSVP at: https://www.facebook.com/events/427726927366162/

 

A Day of Action and Awareness to Protest the Sale of Rabbit Meat at Whole Foods Market

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - ACTIVIST ALERT: PLEASE JOIN US ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 17, 2014 TO PROTEST THE SALE OF RABBIT MEAT AT WHOLE FOODS MARKET!

EVENT DETAILS: https://www.facebook.com/events/310821042428644/

BWF & CAPS will participate in the “National Day of Action and Awareness to Protest the Sale of Rabbit Meat at Whole Foods Market.” BWF and CAPS will join over 100 animal rights activists, 70 businesses, humane societies, animal rescue groups, as well as 10,000 people who have petitioned Whole Foods Market to immediately stop the sale of butchered rabbits. On August 17th, community protests will be held outside over 40+ Whole Foods Market locations nationwide (http://rabbit.org/day-of-action-focused-on-whole-foods-august-17/).

According to the 2012 American Pet Products Association (APPA), 2.5 million households now live with pet rabbits. “Whoever at Whole Foods decided it was a lucrative idea to sell butchered bunny meat is a Neanderthal.  While Whole Foods is busy selling dead pets, we are working to draft legislation to further protect rabbits in Los Angeles. After years of successfully combatting illegal animal traffickers who abused unweaned bunnies in LA, we now find that Whole Foods will be selling them dead? Not on our watch! If Whole Foods has its way, millions of rabbits will be tortured and killed.  Whole Foods must remember that Los Angeles is a humane city and that consumers are revolted by the sale of pets as meat. We want to inspect Whole Foods’ dead rabbit suppliers.  If Whole Foods’ customers could see what happens in one of its rabbit slaughterhouses, they would run. Have you ever heard a rabbit scream? “~Lejla Hadzimuratovic, Founder and President of Bunny World Foundation.

A phone survey conducted of 39 Northern California Whole Foods Market Stores revealed that only one of 39 store managers interviewed were aware that they were selling meat from domestic rabbit breeds.  Most believed the meat came from either wild rabbits or from New Zealand. Most employees said they were very unhappy about the decision--especially those employees who have shared their lives with pet rabbits along with cats and dogs.

“Whole Foods calls rabbits "Fryers" and that tells you everything you need to know. Rabbits are not "fryers," they are beloved companion animals. Whole Foods is going to face a sustained boycott and protest campaign if they think they can get away with the sale of butchered companion animals in our city. We are the folks who successfully stopped LA pet stores from selling dogs, cats and rabbits from cruel commercial breeding factories. How can we allow Whole Foods to sell them dead? We want the names and USDA license numbers of every single dead rabbit supplier so we can examine their facilities and inspection reports. We plan to enact legislation to make the sale of butchered companion animals illegal in our city. The sale of dead rabbits is simply barbaric and Whole Foods is not in step with LA's progressive stance regarding animal protection."  ~ Carole Raphaelle Davis, West Coast Director, Companion Animal Protection Society

Whole Foods Market has repeatedly declined to explain the contradiction in their decision to kill rabbits while promoting products not tested on the very same type of rabbits. Whole Foods Executives have responded to consumer complaints with a form letter claiming “sensitivity to the issue,” while touting the “highest standards” for large scale rabbit meat production and slaughter with “the goal of creating standards for other companies to follow.”

Lisa Rockwell, who started the petition which surpassed 10,000 signatures, says "I was horrified to see rabbit meat at my local Whole Foods. It was offensive and condescending for Whole Foods Markets to send me a form letter about their standards. Standards are not the issue.  They are selling the meat of pet breed rabbits, just like mine." For further information, please see http://www.saveabunny.org/stop-whole-foods-rabbit-meat and http://rabbit.org/tell-whole-foods-to-stop-killing-bunnies/.

Media Contact:

Lejla Hadzimuratovic, President and Founder, Bunny World Foundation, Cell. 310-498-8600       

Minerva Needs A Miracle – Will you please help?

Bunny World Foundation is faced with a huge medical bill for our recent rescue, Minerva, and we’re hoping you will find it in your heart to donate towards her fundraising goal! Your help is needed more than ever.
 
Minerva was rescued from Los Angeles Animal Services (LAAS) where she contracted an infection that had caused her to develop an abdominal abscess around her spay surgery. Upon BWF’s presentation of Minerva to a veterinarian she was found to have bilateral ear infections, ocular (eye) discharge, a fever, mass in her left shoulder area, and a severely infected/abscessed area all around her abdominal incision from a spay surgery.
 
Minerva was placed under anesthesia on July 24th and the mass from her left shoulder area was removed which fortunately turned out to be noncancerous. Minerva also required surgical excision of the life-threatening abdominal abscess. The abdominal infection was so deep it extended through the body wall.

Minerva's condition was quite critical post-op and a very guarded prognosis was given. As of now, she is doing better, her temperature remains normal and she is starting to eat a small amount, but she will still require a few more days of hospitalization, with appropriate fluids, antibiotics, hot-packing and wound management, etc. before she can safely be released for further at-home care with Bunny World Foundation.

To see Vet reports & Pre-surgery photos (Warning: Graphic Images) please click here:
http://bunnyworldfoundation.givezooks.com/appeals/minerva-needs-a-miracle-donor

Thank you so much!

~BWF Team