As for the shelter/rescue question, I don't think it matters too much. I know Dane County doesn't PTS often at all for space reasons, and they often pull from out-of-county shelters that do have overcrowding issues. For instance, Frida was from a shelter that only takes strays and doesn't have its own adopting out resources, I believe, and she was on the euth list until a DCHS person took her in as a temp foster until a space opened up at DCHS for her. In that sense, they are a lot like a no-kill rescue. They do have fewer resources for behavioral rehab and medical treatment than some rescues, so bunnies are more frequently PTS for that than in a no-killl rescue, but it's still pretty rare. Any bunny you get from a rescue or shelter will save either its life or the life of another bunny that the shelter/rescue can take since that space opened up. I don't know how it is at HAWS either, but I think they are a very low-kill shelter similar to DCHS. If you adopt from foster care, it's the same thing--that foster spot is now open to a bunny at the shelter. DCHS has been pretty full for a while though--even a cute little harli like baby Lola is still around, which surprises me. I guess it's not the bunny time of year.
As for the bunnies at DCHS, I didn't even know Princess was blind! I usually look at them through their own site which doesn't list special needs on the front page and I only read the bios of the ones at the site I help at. She does seem like a sweet girl.
Tootsie Roll is very sweet and loves exploring--she climbed to the top of the Cottontail Cottage like any other bunny. I spent some time playing with her and cut her nails. She doesn't trance very well with her tilt like that! I don't think they know why she has the tilt, but it doesn't seem to be getting worse at all. She is a very sweet, quiet bunny. All the volunteers comment on how sweet she is. She gets around great and the tilt is actually pretty slight--maybe 20 to 35 degrees off of vertical. I like my bunnies to have a bit of sass, but she isn't sassy at all. She's a bit overweight so she's on a diet, but loves her treats. She's a very pretty smallish agouti with a few white patches. I think she'd be a low maintenance special needs bunny for sure, since the tilt is not bad and not increasing and she gets around just like any other bunny, plus she's such a sweetie.
I know Ophelia pretty well since she's been there almost since I first started helping out. She's a bit of a challenge. It is very sad that she's been returned twice, but she has quite a bunnitude and doesn't do well with kids, which I think both of her potential families had. You have to go very slow with her especially in her cage--can't reach in there to do anything without gently patting her head with the other hand--and trying to pick her up is a challenge. She's a bigger dutch mix, black with some white patches. She really loves to sit on the ground and be petted or sit in your lap (once she's calmed down from being picked up) and be petted. However, she is a challenge due to her territorial nature, which comes out a lot more than her sweet nature. When I think of her, I think that she is going to need a very bunny-savvy owner with a lot of patience for her to warm up to people again. She has bit me several times (drawing blood) for no apparent reason!
ullhair: I feel really bad for her because people have obviously let her down and she hasn't had any reason to trust them yet. The shelter environment isn't hurting, but it isn't helping. In any case, she's not a cantidate for bunny dates because she's so territorial and aggressive. She likes to snap through the bars at the others. She would be great if a bunny-savvy person was looking for a challenge to rehabilitate.
There is also a pair that's been there for a long time that I know--Marshmallow and Bogey. Bogey is a sweet, cuddly, fluffy mini-lop and Marshmallow is a charlie marked little thing--probably some hotot in there. They're very cute and have been called the "super bunnies" because they love to jump. Marshmallow is a bit aggressive through the bars to other bunnies, but Bogey is very laid back. Just another one to mention.
I know I've written an essay but I feel that I know some of these guys pretty well. I think the best thing to do is go to a shelter with Button and have a list of a few you want to try dates with, in case there isn't the right vibe. Start with the ones you're most enamored with yourself, because you're adopting the bunny and you have to like her too. If a bondmate isn't the main goal, go meet whoever pulls on your heartstrings the most, and see how you get along with her/him. If a bunny is calling to you, that's what you need to do.:thumbup We drove 3+ hours to get Benjamin because he just called to us from petfinder and we couldn't be happier.
:rabbithop
