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The Bunny Camp Newsletter is brought to you by Leeds & Bradford Hopper Group in support of The Bunny Camp Sanctuary, who kindy let it feature on Rabbit Rehome. If you have any queries regarding the newsletter, appeals or rabbits in it please contact them directly not Rabbit Rehome.
Volume 3 Number 5 – May 2005Hot Weather and Fur CoatsIt’s warm… REALLY warm… Have you ever thought what it’s like to spend all day in the sun when you are covered in fur? Could I please ask you to make sure that your buns have plenty of shade and water, plus, on the very hottest days, it’s a good idea to fill an empty plastic bottle with water and freeze it so they have something cold to lay next to. Dandy. Bunny Camp Sanctuary Sponsor Bunny InformationFor a mere £1 per month, £12 for the year you can sponsor one of these gorgeous but poorly bunnies and help towards their ongoing veterinary care.
 This months Rabbit Welfare Association leafletThe RWF Guide to Feeding your Pet Rabbit ESMERALDA’S STORY
Hi, my name is ESMERALDA and I arrived at the sanctuary on 26th February 2005. I came from a garden centre and I think I was born about October 2004, I was kept with other rabbits and we were for sale but because I am a British Giant and grew very fast plus I had a huge facial abscess that the other bunnies inflicted on me I was to be terminated as I would not make any money for them. It was due to a very kind friend of Sonya’s who rescued me and fostered me for a short time and treated my abscess that I am now in the sanctuary and fit and healthy. I was to be re-homed but due to the sad loss of DUKE the very special Bunny Camp Sanctuary MASCOT who retired from his public appearances in November and their hasn’t been another bunny to carry on his good work in schools etc. I am a very gentle giant and adore children which I understand is unusual so because of that I have been given the privilege of taking on DUKES legacy which I hope I can live up to. I am going to live in a luxurious house with a balcony and a dog flap so that during the day I can come and go as I please and at night I will be locked in like al the other bunnies for our safety I have oodles of love to give and if you would like to sponsor me I would be so happy, there is a form on the next page for you to fill in, so I hope I will be your special sponsor bunny, love to everyone here who treats me so well PAT’S STORY
Hi, my name is PAT and I am a black male domestic bunny born November 2003. I came into the Bunny Camp with 5 other bunnies, we all lived in a broken down run and I had a bucket and hay for a bed. When I arrived Sonya took me to the vets as I had Pasturella and two very large and nasty abscesses on my shoulders. I was poorly for a while and was kept in the Isolation area and I was very very frightened but I soon learnt what love means and now I trust my 2 foots who look after me and love me so much. My Pasturella will reoccur and I need constant care and veterinary treatment. When I was fully recovered from my wounds I was allowed out with the other bunnies, I love to run around the patio with my other bunny friends and I also love to go visiting, I jump in and out of the other bunnies chalets just to be sociable but some of them don’t like it. I am told I am a very handsome buck and I wanted to be the Top Buck but BAILEY was not at all pleased about this so we had a few scraps, no buns were hurt it was more a bit of bravado. Imagine my surprise and good luck to be introduced to a very cute, snazzy doe called ERICA, we now live in our own chalet and domestic bliss agrees with me and we are both contented to love each other, ERICA licks my face and cuddles up to me, ohhh what bliss!!!!. And now my life is complete because BAILEY, who was poorly for a few weeks and lost his lovely doe IVORY, has decided I can be the TOP BUCK. I am so happy here with a lovely bride, a heated chalet, the best food and care plus lots of love. If you would like to find out more about us and to have me as your Sponsor Bunny please fill in the form overleaf. Thank you for reading my story. I send my love to you all PAT SAD NEWSThe last month at the sanctuary has been very difficult with the sponsor bunnies. HUGO our adorable Mr April on our calendar became very ill with a respiratory infection and was admitted to the vets for treatment. After two weeks he was allowed home with medication which seemed to be working for awhile but then he had a relapse and deteriorated again only this time he didn’t recover and sadly he passed over the rainbow bridge on Tuesday 24th May his memory will live on with us. 
HUGO AT CHRISTMAS We also had a very sudden and tragic loss on Friday 20th May when MIDNIGHT one of our new sponsor bunnies passed over the rainbow bridge. We were shocked as there was no sign of illness but it was discovered on the Saturday that a Hornet was building a nest in her house, the vet did a post-mortem and suspects she was stung by the hornet. This loss is so tragic but she is now with Hugo over the rainbow bridge. 
MIDNIGHT IN MARCH SETTLED IN HER NEW HOME BUNNYCAMP SPONSORED WALK 2005
On your marks, get set and….go…. Will you join us on a Sponsored 10 mile walk for the Bunnycamp Sanctuary? We already have a few willing people but the more the merrier. It will be on a Sunday in August and we will be walking the towpath of the Leeds/Liverpool Canal at Bingley. A short 1 mile walk along the towpath from the public car park beside the Bingley Station then we can turn right on the towpath and it’s only 4 miles to Saltaire Mill and Village. We can have a cup of tea and a sticky bun in Saltaire then return to Bingley the way we came. Whilst walking you will discover the tranquillity of waterways and an ever changing landscape, rich in wildlife, flora and fauna. Go on...give it a go it should be fun, Sonya will be taking her boys Alistair and Gregory plus maybe the dogs, Sophie and Martha. I have printed a map for you and a Sponsor Form, we would love to see loads of you joining us on our walk to help with much needed funds and if we all take part and get our Sponsors we could raise a good amount. Many thanks and if you need any further information you can contact Sonya at The Bunnycamp Sanctuary or e-mail Bobbie (rkaerger@yahoo.co.uk) who will try to answer any queries you may have. Look forward to seeing you all 
SPONSORED WALK FOR THE BUNNYCAMP SANCTUARY4, STONEY RIDGE AVENUE, HEATON,BRADFORD NAME AND ADDRESS OF SPONSOR AMOUNT On behalf of the Bunnycamp Sanctuary thank you for your support 
SPONSORSHIP STORIESmarch 2005 at the bunny camp Another month has gone by at Bunny Camp and once again we are feeling very sad because DUKE has passed over the rainbow bridge. Sonya and Jim took the right decision and he went peacefully in Sonya’s arms, he was too frail for any further veterinary intervention and his quality of life was not good, so CHRYSTAL has lost another companion. She now has MIDNIGHT with her and all seems to be going well. We were a bit worried about BAILEY when IVORY left and because of his chin the vet didn’t want to keep giving him any more anaesthetic when he lanced it and flushed it out. One sunny Wednesday morning all the bunnies were on the patio so I went to see if poor frail BAILEY would like to come and play with his friends so I went to the house to fetch him telling him he could go back if he wanted to. What a transformation, when he got on to the patio his tail went up, his ears went back and he looked for and found PAT, I looked around and found them both on their hind legs facing each other and having a ‘boxing’ match, no buns were hurt it was just a struggle to be the TOP BUN!!!! and poor frail BAILEY was winning!!. He has recently given up his title of TOP BUN and has decided he prefers his life as a house rabbit, or should that be house dog, because when Sonya opens the patio door to let her dogs Sophie and Martha out BAILEY runs out with his tail up joining the dogs outside. BAILEY still has his chin lanced every two weeks but the vet gives him a local anaesthetic now and he looks so well, his coat is thick and shiny and he is full of mischief and back to the cheeky faced BAILEY we all love so much. BLUEBELL has lost some weight and is looking good for her groom CLYDE, they were all enjoying the sun on their backs the other Wednesday morning and MIDNIGHT was running around which pleased us because she needs to lose quite a bit of weight but a couple of minutes later I saw her laying on the patio resting with all her fat spread out on either side of her but at least she is having some exercise and the weight will go slowly. On Easter Sunday we had a HOPPER CLUB meeting but because of the holidays there were only 7 of us, we discussed the SPONSORED WALK and all of us agreed to do it, so we have Anthony and Claire, Paul and Chris, Sonya, Bobbie and Alison on board so far and I am sure a lot of other helpers and friends will join us. We thought that a Sunday at the end of May would be a good time, 10 miles was agreed probably on the Canal footpath so watch this space for more information. We have lost a lot of our dear Sponsor bunnies lately but we must be positive in times like these, all the bunnies are unwell some more than others but they have the very best food the very best accommodation with heated chalets, the very best veterinary care and loads and loads of love from everyone associated with the BUNNY CAMP and they live what life they have left feeling warm, secure and wanted. And it’s thanks to people like you that Sonya and Jim are able to fund all this so give yourselves a BIG pat on the back and thank you all from the Sponsored bunnies for donating your time and money to give these beautiful creatures what they deserve. They send their love to their many friends who love and Sponsor them. P.S. last month I called TASHA a ‘him’, sorry about that but TASHA is a ‘her’.
SPONSORSHIP STORIESAPRIL 2005 at the bunny camp Wednesday mornings in April have been dry and even sunny so all the bunnies have been out playing on the patio. Bailey has the patio doors left open for him so he runs in and out at will except when Esmeralda is about, as she normally is, then Bailey will keep one eye on her and as soon as she comes into his view he runs back indoors and all you see is a white tail. Pat as usual stamps his authority on the rest of the bunnies and he is now well and truly the top buck. On 6th April Hugo was found to be struggling with his breathing so I went with Sonya to take him to the vets where he was hospitalised with instructions given by Sonya to the nurses to give him lots of cuddles. Since then he has been in and out of hospital and is up and down with his health, he has a bad infection so has been in the isolation unit with the heater on and classical music playing on the radio. On Wednesdays I have to wait until I have finished cleaning the other chalets before I can go and give Hugo a cuddle as he is still infectious. Sonya gives him a nice warm bath which seems to help him to feel a bit better but he is struggling with the infection and his quality of life is not so rosy at the moment. Pat has been visiting the other bunnies in their chalets, one evening Jim was giving them all their greens for supper and then he locked their chalets for the night, the next morning Sonya had a terrible fright when she went to check on Erica and Pat she found Erica on her own, panic stepped in so Sonya went to check on the others and found Pat on the balcony of Bonnie and Blossoms chalet sitting in between the girls looking very warm, happy and content, he had been there all night. It was so funny, they looked like a liquorice sandwich!!. Chrystal and Midnight are great friends and cuddle up to each other, Chrystal is an amazing rabbit who despite her blindness manages to find her way around the patio, she is such a soft, good natured and cuddly rabbit. Fabia is missing Hugo so much and she has also been to the vets as her skin was dry and flaky and with her history of skin problems Sonya keeps an eye out for any changes. Esmeralda has taken over the job of Mascot for the Bunny Camp, she just loves all the attention she gets from the children Sonya goes to see at different schools. She is perfect for the role such a friendly laid back type of rabbit who has a formed special bond with Sonya. You will probably have read that the Sponsored Walk is now in August and hopefully it will bring in much needed funds for the Bunny Camp Sanctuary. Do try and join us, it should be fun whatever the weather. Once again a very BIG THANK YOU goes to all the many friends and supporters of the Sanctuary, without your help Sonya and Jim would not be able to care for all the unwanted and ill treated bunnies that come into the Sanctuary, a big hug from all the bunnies. Bobbie 
Bunny Camp News Recipe ColumnBy Dandy Due to Brambles pack missing this month’s publication deadline, I have had to do the recipe column myself this month… I mean… how hard can it be? I have decided to describe a thing that the 2-foots do in summer outside, and its called Barbie queue. For this you need
What to do
After the stuff the 2-foots eat is all burned, they will eat some of it, but throw most of it away. They will then all say what a good idea it was, and say how much they enjoyed it. See… I told you it was easy! Bunny Humour
The Barbara Peters Page
This month I must confess is a bit of a departure for me. As regular readers of my column will know, I usually write about herbs & natural remedies This column is different however, as for a change, I am going to address a health issue, I am going to talk about FLY-STRIKE. Fly strike is one of the most horrific things that can happen to your rabbit, and this is the time of year when it becomes apparent. The condition is caused by the blowfly (green-bottle) laying its eggs in a place where the resulting maggots will have a source of food. This usually means on animal droppings, on meat, or on a rabbit’s dirty bottom. If a rabbit suffers fly-strike, the maggots first eat the faeces that are clinging to the rabbit’s rear end, but very soon, they burrow into the rabbit’s tissue causing horrific injury. So what can you do to prevent it? First and foremost, keep your rabbit’s bottom clean at all times. Check him at least twice a day to make sure that he is ok, and if despite your best efforts, if he does suffer an attack, waste no time in getting him to a vet, as it IS a medical emergency. 
As the lazy days of summer are upon us, it’s easy to think that life is good, there are no problems, and all is well with the world. If only this were true. As usual, Bunny Camp has many demands on it’s resources, and there are more rabbits looking for homes than we can possibly care for. On top of this, there are the sad losses we suffer. We all thought that Duke would live forever, but like so many before him, he is now running free at the rainbow bridge. Please help us however you can. Why not join us in our sponsored walk, or if you can’t make it yourself, how about sponsoring someone who is taking part? Whatever help you can give us, you can be assured that it will be appreciated. Bun of the month
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