THIS is the RIGHT way to do Easter photos with kids!!! The photos are beautiful, the chocolate (reportedly) was delicious, and everyone is happy! The best part: no REAL bunnies were harmed in the process - though we can't say the same for some of those tasty chocolate ears! Cheri Frost says, "The children loved them and everyone left with with sticky fingers smelling of chocolate...which is a Very Good Thing!"

Thanks again to FRANK FROST PHOTOGRAPHY for supporting Make Mine Chocolate!

Bunnies, chicks are longtime commitments

Heather Dean, community outreach coordinator with Make Mine Chocolate, an international campaign to help educate people about owning rabbits as pets, said rabbits are the third most abandoned animal in the U.S. after cats and dogs.

She said that while rabbits may seem like a "low maintenance starter pet," owners need to be prepared for an eight- to nine-year commitment.

"And do realize 'my child will become bored with this animal in a few weeks,'" she said.

Keep reading the full article, which also urges people to reconsider giving chicks at Easter, too.

Thanks to Heather for always doing such a great job representing MMC!

It's shaping up to be a beautiful weekend, and what better reason to join CHRS members at this month's Gallery Hop in the Short North!! On Saturday night (April 3rd), from 4-10pm, Columbus' premier art district will be "hopping" with people enjoying the Spring weather, perusing the galleries, sampling fine cuisine, listening to music, and taking in the sights. We'll be there, too, decked out in our MMC gear and bunny ears, passing out MMC flyers and CHOCOLATE BUNNIES to spread the word that rabbits are not disposable pets!

Feel free to join us, for a few minutes or a few hours - take advantage of the lovely weather, stop by Jeni's for some ice cream, grab a coffee at MoJoe Lounge, and save some bunnies.

Contact Megan Lynch at feinexdesignhouse@gmail.com or Terri Cook at terri@columbusrabbit.org for more details!

The online ad read:
I have a Beautiful Baby Bunny that needs a home. I purchased him from a pet store to shoot Easter Portraits. I used him for two days and he was wonderful!!! Great with children and needs a good home. I want to finalize this asap.

To her, he was nothing more than another prop, "used" for a couple of days to make her pictures look cute. And once the photos had been taken, she "didn't need him anymore." Obviously, she couldn't wait to get rid of him "asap."

The good news for this little guy is that a dedicated rescuer saw the ad and negotiated getting him from the ill-informed photographer. He is, indeed, adorable! But he's still a baby at 6-7 weeks old. He will be neutered in a few weeks and then be ready for adoption.

Here's a photo of John Dean and Burton, doing a fantastic job of representing MMC last Sunday morning. John spoke with host Marshall McPeek about the responsibility of properly caring for a pet rabbit, and emphasized that rabbits should not be given as Easter gifts.

This is an excerpt email we received from Cheri Frost of Frank Frost Photography in Albuquerque, NM.

My husband and I own a professional photography studio in Albuquerque, NM and over the past fifteen years, we've always photographed children at Easter with live rabbits.

We are members of PPA and WPPI and while perusing their website, I was made aware of your Make Mine Chocolate campaign and it has changed the way we are photographing children this year. We are filling the set with chocolate bunnies and we can't wait!

If you are in the Albuquerque area, please consider supporting them by having your Easter photos taken with their CHOCOLATE bunnies! And be sure to THANK THEM for their compassion!

Frank Frost Photography
7400 Montgomery Blvd NE
Albuquerque, NM 87112
505.293.2724

www.FrankFrost.com
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Our original MMC Flyer has been updated for 2010! Check it out: Click HERE for the color version; or HERE for the Black/White version. We've also got a page of small-size fliers (4 per page) coming soon!

These revisions match our Photography poster and help give our materials a more consistent look.

Please download them and use them to help share the word that rabbits are NOT disposable pets!

Louie was actually talking about the wonderful produce he feeds his bunnies and where he shops for the greens. He currently has 6 rescued rabbits, so he definitely spends some time at the grocery store!

Louie and Heather talked about Make Mine Chocolate! and how it can be a valuable tool for doing research before bringing a rabbit into the home. They also discussed various options for Easter gifts...other than a live rabbit: try a chocolate bunny, a stuffed bunny, a zsu zsu pet. It is so important to teach children about the responsibilities of owning a pet, and the truth is - children have short attention spans and will tire of a pet long before the pet lives out its life.

Heather is looking forward to speaking with Louie again in the days leading up to Easter. He has been a tireless supporter of our campaign. Please support him by tuning into his radio show weekdays between 10am - 3pm at http://www.vindy.com/louie-free/.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds
With no thought of their bunny who hadn't been fed.
With Ma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap
We knew he was hungry but we needed a nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear
But the Easter Bunny - with eyes full of tears.

He un-caged the rabbit, once lively and quick,
Last year's Easter Gift, now lonely and sick.
More rapid than eagles he called the bunn's name
And with a few binkies, the bunny happily came.

"You poor little soul, so sad and alone,
With no one to love you in this so-called home.
How quickly they forgot about your joys and your needs.
Come with me, Little One, come with me please.

Run with me, Bunny, stretch your legs tall!
Let's find you a home where you'll be loved by all."
The Easter Bunny left no chocolates that year
But he certainly made one thing quite clear.

The gift of a rabbit is not just for the season,
We had gotten the bunny for all the wrong reasons.
"A bunny would make a great gift!" was our thought
But there was one important thing we forgot.

A bunny should be family, and loved just as much,
Not locked in a cage and denied human touch.
They need more than a name, a pat and a meal,
They need companionship and love that is real.

And I heard him exclaim as he dashed out of sight
"You weren't given a gift! You were given a LIFE!"

Author Unknown

Sher-Bliss, a chocolate and wine shop in Gahanna, is our newest local Partner.

Not only are they sharing the MMC message, they are donating a portion of the sales of two of their popular Easter items to the Columbus House Rabbit Society to support the "Make Mine Chocolate!" campaign!

Available in-store or online, they are offering their "Bliss in a Bottle" - a bottle of Rabbit Ridge Bunny Cuvee dipped in milk, dark, or white chocolate for $29.99, or their solid 1 lb Belgian chocolate Easter bunny for $29.50. Prices are before tax, shipping and handling - they ship via UPS throughout the continental US.

"Cuvee" is a wine made from a blend of grapes. According to their website, Rabbit Ridge's Bunny Cuvee is approximately 40% Bordeaux varietals (Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot) blended with approximately 60% Petite Sirah. Interestingly, the term "Cuvee" also applies to chocolate that is blended to produce a certain taste.

Each item will have a tag specifying that a donation was made.

Visit the MMC CafePress store to order your MMC merchandise today!

The Ohio House Rabbit Rescue is a new group dedicated to the rescue and adoption of house rabbits and to the education of current and potential pet parents and the general public. Their goal is to build a new rabbit-only animal shelter in Central Ohio to provide a quality environment for rescued house rabbits while they wait to be adopted into loving homes.

Currently, OHRR is competing for a $250,000 grant from the Pepsi Company that would provide the money necessary to get started on their shelter project. You can help them by voting for OHRR every day in March. For you vote to count, be sure to "sign in" at the bottom left hand corner, then click on "Vote for this idea." Be sure to sign in every day before voting.