Pet Rabbits to Show Off Jumping Skills at Hop-A-Thon
On Saturday August 5, the Eastern Shore Rabbit Rescue and Education Center (ESRREC) will hold a fundraiser called a “Bunny Hop-a-Thon” at the Rock Hall American Legion that showcases the European spectator sport of rabbit jumping.
The Hop-a-Thon will be open to the public from 12-5pm, with admission fee of $5 for adults and $2 for children (12 and under). Several rabbit owners are registered to take a “beginner’s hopping class” in the morning with Alikatt Rabbit Hopping and Agility, a Pennsylvania-based instructor, who will also provide hopping demonstrations in the afternoon. A competition will be held from 2-4pm with multiple levels of difficulty. During the event, ESRREC will also offer children’s activities and a “Bunny Bazaar” (pop-up gift shop for bunnies and bunny lovers), while the Legion Auxiliary will sell food and drink.
“We are aiming for the Hop-a-Thon to be a fun event,” said ESRREC President and founder Cora Dickson, “for the rabbit owners and their bunnies that are participating as well as for the crowd watching and cheering from the sidelines.”
ESRREC’s overarching goal is to raise awareness that abandoned bunnies – like other pets – need homes. As part of its mission, ESRREC focuses on educating potential adopters regarding proper care and attention. Without such preparation, new pet rabbit owners often fail to understand the commitment, leading to abandoned rabbits particularly in the months following Easter.
Since it opened its shelter in April 2015, ESRREC has taken in 80 rabbits and conducted 46 adoptions. All ESRREC adoptable rabbits are litter box trained and fed a healthy diet including mainly fresh hay from local farms.
Through collecting donations and other fundraising, ESRREC has also been able to arrange spay or neuter for 60 of the intake rabbits to get them ready for new homes. The rabbits are transferred from regional shelters, are surrendered directly by owners, or are brought to ESRREC after being found as strays.
The official site for the Hop-a-Thon is https://esrrec.org/hop-a-
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