Rabbits learn that 'somebunny' loves them

COTTON TAILS—Calabasas resident Vicki Anderholt spends time in the garden with bunnies that are up for adoption at the Agoura Animal Shelter. Anderholt has been a volunteer at the shelter for about a year and works mainly with the rabbits. Vicki Anderholt couldn't have guessed her love for bunnies would begin with a shopping trip to downtown Los Angeles.

It was her daughter's 15th birthday, so Anderholt rounded up a group of girls and spent the day browsing through clothes, jewelry and other treasures. Along the way, one of the girls bought a bunny, small enough to fit in the palm of her hand.

"One of the girls literally got a bunny off the streets of L.A., and she came home with it that night and showed her dad the bunny, he said, 'We have dogs. You keep the rabbit.'"

Anderholt said, "I didn't know anything about bunnies at the time, but I love them."

Anderholt now volunteers at the Agoura Animal Shelter, and is hoping others will come to a shelter event that may trigger that same love. A bunny awareness and adoption day at the shelter will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sat., Aug. 2.

"After I decided to keep the bunny, I did everything wrong," Anderholt said. "I gave him lots of greens and carrots, and that's wrong. I gave him cat litter, and that's wrong. I gave him a cage—that was all wrong."

Volunteers will be on hand to help people learn the best way to care for rabbits, including lessons on how to brush them and how to clip their nails. Anderholt learned a lot when she started volunteering more than a year ago.

"We always need more volunteers, but there are usually more for cats and dogs," said Anderholt, now referred to at the shelter as the "bunny lady." "There weren't any for the bunnies. Bunnies don't have a bark and they don't have a meow— they don't have a voice. Bunnies can't show their personalities unless they have 10 to 15 feet to run around. That's when they do their crazy bunny dances."

The Agoura Shelter has two bunny runs and an indoor pen for the rabbits to play. Since she's been at the shelter Anderholt says there have been as many as 15 rabbits needing adoption.

"We will have bunnies from several of the county shelters, as well as information on care, grooming, health and enjoyment of your companion bunny," said shelter volunteer and event organizer E.J. Jaymeson. "The public is welcome to come to the shelter to enjoy all the companion animals we have for adoption, especially our bunnies, and to learn and ask questions of our staff, anything they may want to know about our furry friends."

The Agoura Animal Shelter is at 29525 Agoura Road in Agoura Hills. For more information, call E.J. Jaymeson at (818) 384-9595.