We're trying to get our MMC small flyer added to the "swag bags" given to all participants.

If you are a runner and want to join the fun, or if you live in the neighborhood and just want to check it out, visit the official race website for more info!

http://www.ultrafit-usa.com/BunnyHop5K12.html

Last weekend, Columbus House Rabbit Society (CHRS) and Capital Area Humane Society (CAHS) teamed up to present the second annual Make Mine Chocolate! Day. Held in the lobby of CAHS, we displayed the adoptable bunnies at the shelter, had volunteers on hand to help with handling and to answer questions about adoption and rabbit care, held a raffle for fantastic baskets and prizes, and our friends from Job's Daughters provided an array of sweet delights for a bake sale to benefit the bunnies.

The day was an enormous success, raising awareness about rabbits and Easter and raising money to support the rabbit care program at CAHS. The money is already earmarked to buy toys and other playthings for the shelter bunnies. But the biggest success was the adoption of Josie - now named Pepper - to be a friend to last year's adoption success story, Peeps!

We'd like to say a huge THANK YOU to volunteers Amy S., Allison C., Adrienne L., Ellen E., Judy D., Heather D., and Linda D. for all their hard work!!! It took a lot of effort to plan, organize, and promote the day - and they pulled it off seamlessly!

Come celebrate "Make Mine Chocolate" with The Columbus House Rabbit Society at Capital Area Humane Society. We will have rabbits available for adoption. The Columbus House Rabbit Society will have an information table with everything you need to know about owning a house rabbit.

We will have a fabulous bake sale (thanks to our friends from Job's Daughters) and fantastic raffle to benefit the Capital Area Humane Society rabbits. Check out the photo for some of our great raffle prizes!

We hope to see you there!!

Erinn sent this story of Fozzy's brief time as an Easter bunny.

FOZZY'S STORY

It was the day after Easter and I was sitting at home watching TV with my four other bunnies. I had just put another load of laundry in the dryer and was just glad to not be out in the cold and wind. My phone rang, and it was a friend of mine. The day before, on Easter Sunday, she had seen her neighbors take a cage with a bunny inside their house. Twenty four hours later, the bunny was sitting in his cage out by the trash cans on the curb. Knowing that I was a bunny lover and that I was a volunteer for Red Door, my friend called me and asked if I would come rescue the bunny who had obviously worn out his welcome as an Easter gift. Sadly, she could not take him inside her home because of her dogs, so I had to hurry.

When I got there, the poor thing was shivering from being out in the cold rain for hours. I immediately wrapped him in my coat and put his cage in the car. I turned the heater on high and sat him in my lap for the ride home. By the time we got home, he was warmed up, but obviously still shaken up by the events of the day. I wrapped him in a blanket and turned on the wedding music CD I had been listening to earlier. As it turns out, he loves classical music and immediately perked up and began to relax.

A few hours later my fiancé came home from work, and we named the little Harlequin-Lionhead-Lop mix Fozzy. Although we already had four bunnies, we knew this little guy was special and that he was not going anywhere. I took him to Red Door so that he could be checked over and given a clean bill of health. He had his ears cleaned and his fur trimmed. Now he looks like a million dollars and spends his time stealing hearts. Since we are believers in bonding bunnies, as they are very loving creatures, we are considering bringing home a friend for him after he is neutered.

Thankfully, Fozzy's story has a happy ending, and we are very grateful that Erinn was able to get to him in time.

Hope your holiday is filled with delight!

We'd like to thank each one of our supporters for your ongoing efforts to help the bunnies: one flyer, poster, email, or conversation at a time! However you do it, it all adds up to another great campaign!

For some last-minute Easter reading, we encourage you to visit these sites:

The Etsy Rabbits Team Blog

Be the Change for Animals

Earlier today, foster buns Scarlet, Charlene, and Amber charmed the children of CenterPointe Church with their sweet faces, funny antics and soft, silky fur. Fellow CHRS Educator Danielle Patterson and I spent the morning with the families attending the annual Easter Egg Hunt at the church in Lewis Center, OH. The festivities were moved indoors due to the wet ground and threat of more rain, but that didn't dampen the fun! The kids got to hunt for Easter eggs and candy around the church and play in a "bounce house."

Our spunky sisters took turns in Danielle's arms so the children could gently pet them.

Some of the children were excited to get an HRS Coloring Book and other word puzzles and games. We also passed out info to the parents on living with a rabbit, and many of them commented on our "Reindeer" poster! It really hit home with them!

Our girls did very well with all the activity and excitement, but I'm guessing they spent the rest of the day sacked out, glad to be back home!

Thank you to everyone who supported CHRS through this raffle. We made $172.00 for the rabbits! And a big thanks to Adrienne Lang who donated it to us.

"Let's all go to the lobby....Let's all go to the lobby..."

That's right, folks! "Make Mine Chocolate!" is going to the movies! Starting tomorrow - April 22nd - the Make Mine Chocolate! public service announcement (PSA) will be shown at the AMC Theater at Easton in Columbus, Ohio on all 30 screens, before every movie, and on three lobby screens!! Our message that rabbits are not disposable pets or Easter toys will be seen by hundreds, if not thousands, of movie-goers over the next three weeks!

This dream started with the announcement of the movie HOP. We thought it would be wonderful if we could get the PSA shown to coincide with the release of the film. When we investigated what this would take, we found out that our taped copy of the PSA was on old technology. With no way to easily convert it to a useable format, it seemed we were at a standstill.

As I was surfing Facebook one evening, someone suggested it would be great to have the PSA shown on the screens prior to HOP. I mentioned that we had looked into it, but found out our tape would not work in modern equipment. This prompted Toni Greetis of Red Door Animal Shelter in Chicago to press me for details. She said she thought she might be able to get it converted to a digital format, and I gave her the specifics on the tape and the format specifications from AMC. She confirmed that her friend, Rogelio Gazga, co-owner of SPI-tv Media Group, could accomplish the conversion, and I immediately packed the tape off to Chicago! Within days, our tape was converted to an acceptable digital format and ready for upload to AMC's media site. All that was left was to sign the contract and receive upload instructions. And that's where we hit a snag. The contract was signed and faxed on a Friday evening and emails continued to fly over the weekend. With a Monday deadline, Ro attempted to upload the file. The website would not work! In a panic, I called the AMC representative and explained the problem. I begged for an extension to allow us to overnight a CD with the file. The rep said she'd see what she could do, and I waited on pins and needles to hear back. Mid-afternoon, she called with the news that we could send the CD and they would put a rush on it, as the problem had been on their end and not our fault! Whew!! What a relief! Toni and Ro took the CD to FedEx, and we all held our breath.

The following day, I emailed the rep to make sure the CD had been received. She confirmed that it had been, that the file was in the correct format, and that the rush order had been approved. Everything was set. In all of the panic, we seem to have won her over. She wrote that "in my reasoning for the rush I explained about the digidelivery issues but mostly said it was FOR THE BUNNIES!"

Now pass the popcorn!

On March 26th, they hosted a table during Kid's Day at Younker's at Rivertown Mall in Grandville, MI. Three foster buns helps staff a booth which displayed the MMC flier. The centerpiece of their table an Easter basket of bunny shaped chocolates and plastic carrots filled with jellybeans. Booth visitors enjoyed the candy while they flipped through a binder of adoptable pets and learned about responsible rabbit ownership.

They held another Make Mine Chocolate educational event on Saturday, April at the Pet Supplies Plus Store in Grandville, MI. The centerpiece of their table was again the MMC flier and a large Easter basket filled with chocolate along with handmade bunny toys demonstrated good alternatives to live rabbits for Easter gifts. They proudly displayed two recent issues of Cats and Dogs magazine which included stories from WMCH telling the true personalities of house rabbits. Kids attending the event were entertained with educational word searches, crossword puzzles and other handouts promoting proper rabbit care and nutrition. A big thanks to fosters Dave and Lisa V. (pictured) who staffed the WMCH table.

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Thank you John and Charley! We know you'll be great!!

When blogger Jennifer Holsman spotted our Partnership with Rescue Chocolate, the makers of fair-trade, vegan chocolate whose proceeds are donated to help animal rescue groups, she felt inspired to resurrect her own dormant website. VaVaVaVegan is where she combines her love of pop culture and fashion and her devotion to animal welfare. She gives commentary on everything from how and where to find animal-friendly accessories and beauty products to tips and tricks on updating your cruelty-free wardrobe! And did I mention she's a bunny-parent to boot? It all adds up to a pretty glam Partnership, and we're happy to have her on board!

Now, go make yourself fierce!