THERABBIT ADVOCATE

PROVIDING INSIGHT INTO THE LIVES OF HOUSE RABBITS

SUMMER 2016

Bunny’s Best Bites has new location

Rabbit Advocates is excited to announce the new location for its Bunny’s Best Bites program. Alpenrose Dairy, a local company celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, has generously offered space in its barn for hay storage and packing activities.

The dairy, located in Southwest Portland, has been at its current location since 1916. The dairy has been in operation for 100 years, owned and managed by the same family.

Tracey Cadonau McKinnon, events coordinator for Alpenrose Dairy, offered Rabbit Advocates this space. Rabbit Advocates is grateful for the family’s generosity.

The dairy is busy all year long and hosts well-known special events. The farm hosts an Easter Egg hunt each year and is home to the Alpenrose Velodrome, one of only 20 bicycle racing tracks in the United States. Built in 1967 for the National

Championships, the Olympic size track is used for national and international bicycle races.

The dairy may be best known for its Christmas in Dairyville. Dairyville is the farm’s western frontier storefront town. The Christmas tradition includes holiday movies in the Opera house, concerts by local choirs, story book land and visits from Santa. The event requires nearly 400 volunteers and Tracey has requested Rabbit Advocate volunteers to help with this event.

Rabbit Advocates would like to sincerely thank Evelyn Roeloffs, who for years allowed Bunny’s Best Bites hay to be stored at her home and for volunteers on a monthly basis to use her garage to mix and bag the hay.

Bunny’s Best Bites is a custom blend of high-quality hay, specially created for

companion rabbits. Volunteers blend and bag the hay. Proceeds from sale of the hay goes to

the Rabbit Advocate medical fund, which pays for spays and neuters of rabbits and offsets some costs of other medical procedures.

Bunny’s Best Bites needs volunteers. Please go to the Rabbit Advocate website for more information about Bunny’s Best Bites and how to join the hay packing parties.

Alpenrose Dairy is located at 6149 SW Shattuck Road in Portland. For more information about the dairy, go to its web site at Alpenrose.com.

Welcome to the Secret life of Rabbit Advocate artistsUnless employed by an animal shelter or a veterinary care center, taking care of companion pet rabbits is not a paid profession. Most people who share their homes with rabbits do so because they love the rabbits, not because they are paid to perform the duty. So pet care is already a personal avocation.

For some Rabbit Advocate volunteers, sharing a home with rabbits has inspired even more personal

pursuits. This issue of The Rabbit Advocate opens the door of a number of volunteers’ homes and invites readers in. In addition to rabbits, readers will find a lot of activity in these homes. And the activities are artistic in nature, ranging from writing to fiber and paper art to creating entire worlds in miniature. There is a tremendous amount of creativity within the Rabbit Advocate volunteer base. This issue peeks at just a little of it and profiles some of the artists who make it.

Alpenrose has been a Portland company for 100 years and stepped up to help Rabbit Advocates and Bunny’s Best Bites. The bunnies are grateful. (Photo by Dave Marvin)

FEATURED ON PAGES 4 & 5

20162016

Clover on the Moon by Sarah Yasutake

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There is almost no creative endeavor that Ingrid Barlett has not undertaken. The 14-year-old draws, paints, sculpts, needle felts and writes short stories. Last summer she was one of 30 students chosen to participate in a workshop focused on creative writing.

Ingrid has two pet rabbits and belongs to a 4-H group based in Clackamas County, Oregon, and she shows rabbits at the county fair. She and her rabbits Momo and Lollipop demonstrate agility training for rabbits. Ingrid and her friend Gretchen Pauli were the subject of a story in The Rabbit Advocate when they came to a Rabbit Advocate meeting and helped uninitiated rabbits and caretakers have fun running an agility course.

For more information, see the article entitled “Young volunteers and their rabbits delight through agility demonstrations” in the Summer, 2014, newsletter. Archived newsletters can be found on the Rabbit Advocate website at www.rabbitadvocates.org.

Ingrid Bartlett

My bunny Clover is soft and white. He has a twitchy pink nose, and he loves parsley. He nibbles everything. I give him lots of hay and apple twigs to keep him busy.

Grandma loves to see Clover when she visits. Clover loves Grandma, too. He likes to nibble her shoelaces.

“Naughty little bunny,” Grandma scolds. But she smiles when she says it. She pets Clover’s long, silky ears. Clover closes his eyes and makes a happy little sound with his teeth.

One morning after Grandma arrives, she calls me over to look out the window. “The moon is out,” she says, pointing up at the sky.

The sky is clear and blue, but up high I see the moon, round and white.

“Why is the moon out during the day?” I ask. Everyone knows the moon comes out at night.

“Maybe the moon rabbit wanted to pay us a visit today,” Grandma says.

“The moon rabbit?”

“Haven’t you ever seen the rabbit on the moon?” Grandma asks.

I shake my head. “No.” I picture Clover hopping around on the moon, looking for something to eat.

“Look,” Grandma says. And she shows me how the moon’s gray spots make a picture of a rabbit. “In Japan, people say that the moon rabbit is holding a wooden mallet and pounding rice to make mochi.”

Grandma is Japanese, like my dad. She makes me mochi to eat on New Year’s Day. It’s gooey and a little sweet. I like it.

“Grandma,” I ask, “Where did the moon rabbit come from?”

“I’m not sure,” she says. “I suppose the moon rabbit came from someone’s imagination. I remember my grandmother showing it to me when I was a girl, and her grandmother probably showed it to her. No matter how things change here on Earth, the moon rabbit is always there.”

Just then, Clover hops over and starts nibbling Grandma’s shoelaces. “Oh, Clover,” she says. “One of these days we’ll send you up to the moon!” She reaches in her pocket and pulls out a small piece of carrot. Clover leaves Grandma’s shoelaces alone and munches the carrot.

“I wish we could always be together,” I say. “You, me, and Clover.”

“I do, too,” Grandma says. “I have an idea. From now on, let’s pretend that the moon rabbit is Clover. Whenever we miss each other, we’ll look at the moon and imagine it’s Clover up there in the sky, and he’ll bring us together.”

“Yes,” I say. “And when the moon gets smaller, it’s because Clover is nibbling it!”

Grandma laughs. “I bet Clover would nibble the moon, if he only could.”

Now, when I miss Grandma, I only need to wait for the moon to come out so I can see Clover—Clover on the moon.

Editor’s note: Sarah Yasutake has been a volunteer with Rabbit Advocates since 2000. She and her husband Kevin live in Maryland with their two daughters. Sarah is a writer, enjoying the process of writing short stories and even a full-length novel. She also contributes considerable time to Rabbit Advocates as a researcher and writer for this newsletter. The illustration that accompanies this story was drawn by Kevin Yasutake.

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Dominique Chishti: Two Flower Photography

Some of her subjects don’t take directions well.

Dominique Chishti is a native Oregonian, a Portland State University graduate and a staff member at an insurance agency. But that’s not who she really is or what she really does. What she really does is capture the personality of animals through photography.

While her introduction to photography started with beauti fu l scenery during hikes and backpacking trips, Dominique’s avocation became a profession when she established Two Flower Photography in 2015. She was inspired to take this step after reading an article about how professional portraiture helps shelter dogs find forever homes. Dominique loves all animals but gravitates to rabbits and guinea pigs.

“After reading the article about shelter dogs, I thought ‘why not guinea pigs?’ Their lives are as valid as a dog’s and they are badly served by common misinformation and human hubris,” Dominique says. “I thought that if I could take the time to capture their personalities on camera it might help people see them as living individuals.”

Because she had already been working with the Portland Guinea Pig Rescue, photographing the rescued pigs seemed like a creative way to help the organization. Dominique connected with the guinea pig rescue because of Bonniebell, a pig she rescued from a terrible living situation. Bonniebell is “certifiably the most beautiful guinea pig in the world,” Dominique says. As proof, she has a certificate saying as much, signed by her veterinarian, Dr. Mark Burgess.

Her desire to unveil the beauty and charm of these small animals is the root of Dominique’s inspiration and what drives her efforts to improve. “The biggest disappointment about photography is that it’s actually hard work,” she says. “I had this idea that it would be ‘point-and-shoot’ and everything would look amazing. It’s not easy, it’s actually strenuous, engaging work.”

Dominique’s reward is the reaction she gets from pet parents when they see her finished portraits. “I photographed a woman’s guinea pigs and she said that it was like seeing whole new aspects of her pets’ personalities; another client said she started crying when she saw a photo of her rescue dog looking up at her with this totally trusting face.”

Working with small animals, especially guinea pigs and rabbits, is its own challenge, Dominique says. Dogs and even cats might be enticed into looking in a specific direction, or sitting still. Rabbits tend not to take directions so well. “I usually spend the first 10 minutes of a bunny shoot just firing off shots so they acclimate to and then ignore the shutter sound,” Dominique says. “If I’m quiet and stay out of the way then they start to act naturally, and I’m able to

catch their personalities. They’re beautifully unselfconscious. They don’t have human ego or foresight. If they worry, it’s not about whether or not they’ll look nice in their picture. They can only be Themselves. And every one of them is beautiful.”

Dominique offers portraiture services and more information about scheduling can be found on her website at www.twoflowerphotography.com. “I hope to be able to work with many other types of animal in the future - anything, really, from tarantulas to tortoises,” she says. “Any pet and every pet deserves to have their moment of glamour, and I am happy to help them have it.”

For more information, contact Dominique at www.twoflowerphotography.com. You can find her on Facebook, again at twoflowerphotography.

For more information about guinea pigs, contact the Portland Guinea Pig Rescue at www.pdxguineapigs.org.

The Rabbit AdvocateThe Rabbit Advocate is published

three times a year.

Editor: Leann Bleakney

Layout: Peggy Pfenninger Reed of P-Town Prints + Designs! LLC

Photographer: Kem Sypher

Writers: Sarah Yasutake, Guin Boostrom

Proofreader: Joan Gilbert

RA Board of DirectorsPresident: Dr. Melinda Surrency Vice-President: Karen Anderson

Recording Secretary: Kate BrownlieTreasurer: Kem Sypher

Volunteer Coordinator: Lora Skelton Advisory Veterinarian: Dr. Katrina Ramsell

Mary Marvin June Yamrick Kathleen Slinde Mary HueyAllen Anderson Joan Gilbert

Dominique Chishti believes all creatures are beautiful and works hard to create photographic proof of this truth. (Photo by Dominique Chishti)

Milo the rabbit enjoys a little grooming time in the sun. (Photo by Dominique Chishti)

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Welcome to Bunnypalooza 2016 On Nov. 5, 2016, head to the Washington County Fairgrounds Cloverleaf Building for a full day focused on companion rabbits. Adoptable rabbits, rabbit savvy veterinarians, unique gifts and new bunny supplies will be featured.

Three of the exhibitors and vendors featured at Bunnypalooza 2016 are prof i led here. They—and Rabbit Advocates—look forward to seeing you in November.

LORRAINE BUSHEKPaintings perfectly illustrate companion pet rabbit message

Lorraine Bushek has been an artist nearly her entire life. She started drawing in her books before she could read. She studied graphic design and scientific illustration at Oregon State University. Her chosen medium is oil painting. She has been with Rabbit Advocates since the organization’s earliest days as a loosely coordinated group of volunteers and after the organization’s incorporation, she served on its board of directors. She has rescued and fostered countless rabbits.

After retir ing from Portland General Electr ic in 2000 Lorraine’s goal was to return to oil painting. She started focusing on rabbits as the subject of her paintings, and in 2008 she began a series called “Rabbits Belong on Chairs.” The paintings captured rabbits as they relaxed on chairs in their homes. These were not rabbits “caught” sneaking up on the chairs, nor were they posed on the chairs. The word “belong” was intentional and meant to highlight rabbits as companion pets in the home.

A later series of paintings called “Grumpy Rabbits” focused on bunnies’ personalities. Lorraine, at the time, shared her studio with a rabbit and was inspired by the animal’s movement and the curves of her body. “I have been painting rabbits as a

subject for so long, and observing them for so long, that I really understand how they move, the elements of the structure of their bodies,” Lorraine said. “I try to bring that to my work.”

Lorraine has served on the board of directors for the Oregon Society of Artists, as well as serving as the organization’s Gallery Chairman. Lorraine has a web s i te and shows her work at w w w.lorrainebushek.com.

In the spring of 2017, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in NW Portland is having a solo show of her work, with a focus on rabbits and eggs during the Easter season. Lorraine agreed to the show only if she could include the message that rabbits are not “Easter” pets but instead are companion pets and deserve a long-term commitment. She also secured permission for Rabbit Advocates to be involved in the show. The cathedral agreed and have welcomed the message of rabbits as companion pets. The Rabbit Advocate will publish dates for the gallery showing early in 2017.

Lorraine’s work is highly sought-after and she sells her paintings all over the world. She has been featured in group art shows through the Oregon Society of Artists and has had solo shows, including one last summer during Portland’s “First Thursday” monthly art show. For more information, see her website at www.lorrainebushek.com.

B U N N Y P A L O O Z A 2 0 1 6

Help wanted: Bunnypalooza

needs you!Volunteers are needed to help make this unique and fun event a success.

To volunteer for the big event, contact Cherrie at cjctree@hotmail.com.

See you there!

BUNNYPALOOZA2016 Vendor List

(as of July 18, 2016)

Azure Rabbit (handmade bunny-themed jewelry)

B & B Ranch (handmade rabbit beds)

Bunnies in Baskets

Bunfectionary (gourmet bunny treats)

Buxton Feed Company (locally produced rabbit food)

Elvis Parsley (organic willow wreaths)

Hillsboro Veterinary Clinic

Leith Petwerks (house rabbit habitats/bunny condos)

Lombard Animal Hospital

Lorraine Bushek, artist

MudBay (pet supplies)

Patricia Rubinelli (rabbit photographer)

PDX Guinea Pig Rescue

SS Bunny Imports (rabbit decals, stickers and signs)

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LEITH PETWERKS“Only the best for your bunny”

Dinkum was a wedding gift Scot and Amy Leith gave to each other when they married in 1992. Like so many companion rabbits, Dinkum was adopted in June, having been an “Easter leftover” rabbit. “We really didn’t know much about bunnies at the time,” Amy admits. “But he stole our hearts.”

Leith Petwerks showcased its bunny condos during Bunnypalooza 2015 and they will be back this year, selling multi-story homes for rabbits. The condos, called “Bunny Abodes,” are made of high-quality materials and are custom created. In addition, Leith Petwerks sells supplies rabbits need, including carriers, exercise pens, watering systems, food bowls and other toys, treats and grooming supplies.

Before Leith Petwerks became a singular source for rabbit suppl ies, there was Dinkum, and a newly married couple who loved him completely.

Always interested in the manufacturing process, Scot set out to build a home for Dinkum when the couple couldn’t f ind anything they really l iked. One constructed home for Dinkum became another and soon Scot found himself selling the condos through the local pet supply store in Bloomington, Indiana. While Scot concentrated on perfecting bunny condos, Amy started learning all she could about rabbits. Living in the Midwest, Amy notes that people thought of rabbits as livestock rather than pets. But she was not alone in her delight of these creatures as companion pets. She found a copy of the House Rabbit Handbook and soon became an educator with the House Rabbit Society.

The process of focusing the publ ic ’s attention on rabbits as companion pets was not easy, Amy acknowledges. But about six years after they adopted Dinkum, Amy joined with a new House Rabbit Society educator and together they created the Indiana House Rabbit Society Chapter.

Today, even though Amy and Scot live in Oregon, Amy still retains the title of honorary co-manager.

The chapter worked hard to build momentum in the state, under the leadership of Amy and co-founder Dawn Sailer. They developed a foster program, hosted adoption events and worked with local businesses to place educational information about pet rabbits. Amy says the group was also called in by local municipalities to help in cases of abuse and neglect. “That’s something I’m really proud of: we built an organization that our local humane society and law enforcement agencies trusted and respected enough to call and ask for help,” Amy says.

Scot ’s work to create rabbit condos continued to grow. Leith Petwerks, initially housed in a friend’s garage, sold condos, but customer need drove the business to add other supplies. Soon the business outgrew the garage. It outgrew a small barn. It outgrew a three-car garage. It outgrew a light industrial space. After a few years, Scot and Amy bought a “really funky” old historic building in Gosport, Indiana. After visiting Oregon in 1998, Scot and Amy knew they wanted to live in Oregon. So to Salem they came.

While the business concentrates on products for rabbits, the Leiths spend considerable time with their own rabbits. Amy went from pledging to never have foster rabbits to once having 13. She couldn’t resist taking in Charmin, the big white New Zealand rabbit that had head tilt. Currently, they have three rabbits of their own. Each hold the title of Product Tester.

Through it all, Scot and Amy remain “bunny people,” as Amy describes it, and the couple’s quest is to continue to connect with other “bunny people.”

For more information about Leith Petwerks, visit the website at petwerks.com

CINDY FAULKCircular rescuing: receiving then giving, help

Cindy Faulk describes herself as a Rabbit Advocate volunteer, a nature lover, a bunny hugger and a creativity junkie. Her interests are broad and varied, which she attributes to having equal left-brain and right-brain proficiencies, utilizing both the analytical and artistic sides of her mind.

C indy loves gemstones f rom both geological and metaphysical perspectives but her current artistic focus is on making art jewelry, often with a rabbit theme. She particularly enjoys creating what is called “cold-connection jewelry” which includes wire wrapping and wire weaving, as well as metal etching and soldering. She has recently become intrigued with metal piercing, a technique she plans to showcase during Bunnypalooza 2016.

Cindy has been artistic her entire life. She took that interest and skill for granted and thought it was not a big deal until a recent series of events. “That recent series of events involved fostering a very unique and special rabbit, which came with an almost overwhelming financial burden due to medical issues,” she says. “However, a number of individuals, mostly Rabbit Advocate volunteers, came to MY rescue, helping in any way they could, which was incredibly humbling, to say the least.”

Rabbit Advocate volunteer Lorra ine Bushek helped in a very specific way. Lorraine painted an oil portrait of Cindy’s foster rabbit to raise money for the bunny’s medical expenses. “Still to this day, just remembering this gift brings tears to my eyes,” Cindy says. “That event inspired me to focus my artistic talents in a direction with meaning, one that would enable me to ‘pay it forward.’ I’m currently planning the opening of an Etsy store for my jewelry later this summer that will, hopefully, enable me to do just that--pay it forward.”

C indy w i l l be a featured a r t i s t at Bunnypalooza 2016.

B U N N Y P A L O O Z A 2 0 1 6

Kiley Tanabe creates small woodland creatures from fluffy wool, poking it over and over with a sharp, barbed needle to get the shapes just right. She builds the creatures slowly, compacting the wool to give the shape structure, adding colors to develop the creature’s character. The process is called “needlefelting,” and it can be used to make free-standing shapes as Kiley has done, or even embellish other fabrics.

The technique takes advantage of the characteristics of natural fibers to shrink and compact when treated harshly, as anyone who has accidentally shrunk or “felted” a wool sweater by washing it in the washing machine can confirm. Kiley “felts” her wool on purpose, and the harshness to which she treats it is the sharp needle that repeatedly compacts and shapes the creatures.

Kiley began needlefelting a couple of years ago when she developed a terrible bout of bronchitis. She suffers from asthma, which makes her lungs vulnerable if she contracts a cold. A cold led

to bronchitis and Kiley coughed so hard she tore the muscles in her rib cage. Her doctor prescribed bed rest so that the muscles could heal. In desperation for a project she could do while bedridden, Kiley found an online video on needlefelting. Soon she gathered the materials she needed and began creating her own little woolen friends. Her first creation? A rabbit, of course, inspired by the companion rabbits with whom she shares her home.

Already a knitter and crocheter, Kiley feels needlefelting is a natural step in her dive into fiber-related art and craft. Her ultimate goal is to open her home to a couple of angora rabbits, which will provide her with the woolen material to needle felt. Angora rabbits are the only rabbits that produce the long, sticky locks that can be turned into fiber creations, including the needle felted creations Kiley makes.

Kiley can be found on Etsy under the shop name CottonRabbitDesigns.

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Kiley Tanabe: Proof of the healing power of art

We gratefully acknowledge the generosity of the following veterinarians and staffs for their services to our rescued rabbits:

Dr. Katrina Ramsell Northwest Exotic Pet Vet

Dr. Chris Wilson Beaverton Pet Clinic, Beaverton

Dr. Mark Burgess Southwest Animal Hospital, Beaverton

Dr. Sheri Schlorman Creswell Veterinary Hospital, Creswell

Dr. Melinda Surrency Hillsboro Veterinary Clinic, Hillsboro

Dr. Doug Ferro Barclay Hills Animal Clinic, Oregon City

Dr. Nell Ostermeier Lombard Animal Hospital, Portland

Dr. Peter Davis St. Johns Veterinary Clinic, Portland

Dr. Rebecca Prull NW Neighborhood Vet Hospital, Portland

Dr. Ken DeReamer Dr. Monica Pollock Paws and Claws Pet Medical Center, Troutdale and Peninsula Dog and Cat Clinic, Portland

Dr. Matt Fricke McKenzie Animal Hospital, Springfield

We’d love to add more names to this list! Please call us at 503-617-1625 if you are a rabbit-savvy vet who is able to donate services to help rescued rabbits.

Thank You to Our Vets!

Mary Marvin do e s i t a l l , l i t e r a l l y . She and her husband Dave rescue rabbits, foster rabbits, c a r e f o r rabbits, serve a s volunteer project leads f o r R a b b i t Advocates and

Mary serves on the organization’s board of directors. With all that hard work, it is surprising that Mary has the energy to draw and paint. But it’s not surprising that she wants to, because it is both a creative outlet for her and she most often chooses as her main focus domestic and wild animals.

“I have been interested in art since childhood,” Mary says, “but I put off art for about 30 years

while raising my family.” When the Marvins’ youngest daughter was graduating from high school, Mary decided to become involved in pursuits she enjoyed to alleviate the impending “empty nest syndrome.” It was a pleasant circumstance that both mother and daughter ended up at Portland Community College taking art classes together. The two took drawing, sculpture and a pastel painting class.

“It was the pastel class that reminded me how much I enjoy working with this medium,” Mary says. “As I concentrated on the pastels, my technique began improving as well. Today my main focus is painting animals, both wild and domestic. I would like to paint the likenesses of my rabbits, but they don’t seem to hold still long enough for a photo, so forget about them sitting for a painting!”

For more information about Mary’s paintings, contact her at mkmarvin@frontier.com.

Mary Marvin: Returning to the art—and subjects—she loves

Sarah Funseth Baran began creating her intricate, detailed dioramas as a creative outlet to celebrate her rabbits’ personalities. Her pieces range from a single scene to an entire furnished dollhouse, with bunnies in every room. It is not difficult to see that in each, there is an abundance of bunny poop.

Sarah explains that some of her rabbits are wonderful therapy rabbits outside of the home. Sarah is the director of Bunnies in Baskets, an organization focused on visits with rabbits trained to be therapy animals. Sarah maintains the organization’s website at www.bunniesinbaskets.org.

While Sarah’s therapy bunnies exhibit excellent behavior outside her home during therapy visits, they behave completely differently at home. “Quite honestly, they are terrors,” Sarah explains. “My rabbits tear up my cookbooks—on the kitchen table—chase the cat and don’t appear to feel any remorse when I discuss with them my basic expectations for their behavior.”

The bunny poop (it’s actually poppy seeds sprinkled around) featured in the dioramas are a nod to her pets’ home behavior.

Nearly all of the materials Sarah uses in her dioramas are recycled or repurposed items, found in a variety of places. The dioramas are fantastically detailed and allow Sarah the opportunity to both focus intently and the chance to be creative.

Sarah’s creations are sometimes for sale. She can be reached at sarah.baran@aol.com and through the Bunnies in Baskets website.

KUDOS

RABBIT ANGELCarolyn Ackerman of Let Carolyn

Paint It

RABBIT BENEFACTORMonte Wagner, in appreciation of

Pamela WagnerHeather Maurer BechtelDiane ShankMichael SmithNaomi’s Organic Farm SupplyYour Cause LLC

RABBIT RESCUERKaren and Pat StelterMatthew Lass, in appreciation of

Cindy FaulkKatherine Klinko and Carolyn

Emrick, in memory of Buster Bunny

Julia Heydon, in memory of MaggieLorraine Bushek

RABBIT SPONSORJennifer GreenKimberly Daum

RABBIT FRIENDKathryn FischerKathleen TierneyKathi Lamm, in memory of PatchesJohn Zalewski, in memory of Bruno

and PhoebeKristi Johnson-JamesiPro ServiceBarbara RayJoel M. Babin, in appreciation of my

rabbit friendsConnie Kenney

Rabbit Advocates is grateful for these generous donations. All donations made after July. 1, 2016, will be acknowledged in the next issue of The Rabbit Advocate. All donations are tax deductible and are very much appreciated.

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Sarah Funseth Baran: Creating miniature worlds

Jacki Gerdes provides sentiments for others. She makes greeting cards, many of which include themes of pet rabbits and cats.

She became interested in stamping designs and illustrations several years ago after seeing a coworker’s wonderful handmade cards. This coworker introduced Jacki to the creative outlet of stamping and from there, Jacki began making greeting cards.

“My first card ideas began with humor,” Jacki says. “One card I made depicted a woman lying comatose on her back with the phrase: ‘dying for chocolate’. Today, bunnies and cats are my main themes.”

Jacki and her husband Kevin have been Rabbit Advocate volunteers for many years. They have rescued rabbits, fostered rabbits, and spent countless hours caring for their own rabbits. Jacki helps support Rabbit Advocates through her card making as well. A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of rabbit themed cards go into the Rabbit Advocate Medical Fund.

Jacki says she is pleased to accept orders for cards, and will create personalized cards with or without sentiments on the inside. For more information and to place an order, email Jacki at choclattcatt@hotmail.com.

Jacki Gerdes: Hallmark’s got nothing on her

3rd Sunday of the month3:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Location: Humane Society for SW Washington, 1100 NE 192nd Ave., Vancouver, WA

Meetings begin with a “Bunny Basics” Q & A session where we invite your questions about any aspect of rabbit care. The public is welcome!

2016 DatesSEP 18 NOV 20OCT 16 DEC 18

*Rabbit Advocates will not be holding a monthly meeting during the months of July and August.  Check our web site for more information.

General Meetings

Rabbit Advocates sponsors educational events featuring adoptable foster rabbits along with tips on rabbit handling, diet, housing, health and general care. Experienced volunteers provide grooming and nail trimming services for rabbits (suggested donations of $5 for nail trims and $5 for light grooming are appreciated). Outreaches are held the second Sunday of each month from noon-3 pm at the Tigard Petco at 11705 SW Pacific Highway, Tigard, Oregon. For more information, see the Rabbit Advocate website at www.rabbitadvocates.org2016 DatesAUG 14 NOV 13SEP 11 DEC 11OCT 9

Education & Adoption OutreachesBunny’s Best Bites

Hay Packing PartiesVolunteers blend and bag dif ferent types of hay to create Bunny’s Best Bites, our own custom blend of hay. For more information about the hay parties, see the Rabbit Advocate website at www.rabbitadvocates.org

NEW Location:Alpenrose Dairy 6149 SW Shattuck Road Portland, OR

2016 DatesAUG 6 NOV 5SEP 3 DEC 3OCT 1

Rabbit Advocates PO Box 14235

Portland Oregon

97293-0235Helpline:

503.617.1625Website:

rabbitadvocates.org

“Promoting the Welfare of

Domestic Rabbits”

™

Nonprofit Org.

U.S. Postage

PAIDPortland, OR

Permit No. 2191

Upcoming Meetings & Events 2016

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