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Now that Santa has made his annual visit for another year, some families may find themselves with a new member of the family to feed and care for.
Many gift-givers surprise their loved ones with pets such as rabbits, guinea pigs or hamsters, thinking the recipient is ready to tend to such an animal, when actually the new pet owner may have no desire or knowledge of how to give the animal a proper home.
Kristie Corson, president of Little Miracles Rabbit Rescue, which recently opened in Atco, said presenting someone with an animal — especially if that person isn’t ready to care for it — has the potential of turning tragic for the critter.
“Never buy an animal for someone outside of your immediate family,” Corson advised. “If the animal is for your own child, and you have every intention of taking care of the animal, then that’s different.”
Corson, who began bringing abandoned and ill rabbits into her home 16 years ago, said before giving the gift of a pet, consider the long-term effects.
“Don’t just think of the initial surprise,” she said. “You have to think about that child going to college eventually or even family vacations.”
Instead, Corson suggested another gift idea. Take the child on a visit to an animal shelter. It’s much more meaningful and practical, she said.
“It gives the owner a chance to bond with the animals and pick their own pet,” she said.
Corson also educates many would-be animal “surrenderers,” and many of these pet owners decide to keep their pets after all.
“The key is taking an animal to a home where they are going to stick,” Corson said.
Morgan Skalkowski, an 18-year-old shelter volunteer from Winslow Township, has been working at Little Miracles Rabbit Rescue since before the new facility even opened its doors.
“I’m so excited to be working here,” Skalkowski said. “Kristie does such great work. I had a rabbit, but I’ve learned so much from Kristie. She’s really good at educating people about the animals.”
The building was once just a run-down, junk-filled, garage, but Corson saw its potential.
“When I first walked in, I saw what it would be, but a lot of the volunteers thought I was crazy,” Corson said.
Now, only a couple months since that first visit, the building is bright and cheery with pink walls and light, spring-green “bunny condos” covering the warm, treated floor which was once covered with oil-soaked cement.
“I don’t think I’ve ever felt so at home anywhere,” said Skalkowski, who in addition to volunteering is also the proud owner of Winifred, a female guinea pig. “You walk in and all the rabbits look to see who’s here and they all get excited to see you.”
Corson, who cares for the shelter’s “spokesbunny,” a 27-pound Flemish Australian rabbit named Hampton, began her shelter services informally in her home while she worked at a pet store. She would often bring sick bunnies into her house to care for them.
When she relocated to Florida and moved into a home with a detached four-car garage, she finally made her work official.
“Finally, the rescue actually had a home,” she said.
This past September, when she discovered her family would once again be moving back to the South Jersey area, she searched the Internet for a place where she could continue her work.
“I decided to find a public shelter and stumbled across this building on Craig’s List,” she said. “I had a staff of about 30 people who worked round the clock to get this place ready. It’s all teamwork. There’s no way one person could have done this.”
Now that the shelter is up and running, and is home to approximately 80 rabbits, guinea pigs, domesticated rats and hamsters, Corson is ready to find “forever homes” for her tiny friends.
The most important first step to adopting a pet is doing your homework.
“Do the research with shelters,” she said. “People at shelters are looking out for the longevity of the animal.”
Also, she said, preparation is key.
“It’s just like any other animal,” she said. “You have to have safe housing, not outside in a cage. You must clear away electric cords or anything that can be chewed.”
Have all the supplies ready and be fully aware of what to expect before taking the animal home.
Also, before giving up on your pet due to bad behavior, have them spayed or neutered.
“If rabbits aren’t spayed or neutered, they are smelly, aggressive and they spray,” Corson said. “Some people call so frustrated with the animal, and I ask what the problem is. I can save 50 to 75 percent of surrenders by educating the owners. Try to fix the problem instead of just getting rid of the problem.”
Before adopting an animal, Corson said to make an appointment to come in and visit the animals.
“We have you come in and look at three to five rabbits, kind of like a wine tasting,” she said.
The shelter website is updated daily and has many pictures of the animals that are available for adoption.
“Our goal is to make a home into a good home for our animals,” Corson said.
For more information about Little Miracles Rabbit Rescue, visit
www.littlemiracles.org
or call
(856) 210-6028
.
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