My First Time Volunteering at the Taiwan Rabbit Saving Association! (feat. Burger-Loving Hero & Grandpa)
Intro
Meow meow, hello everyone! Today I’m heading over to the Taiwan Rabbit Saving Association to volunteer, together with Burger-Loving Hero and Grandpa. I don’t actually have any experience with this kind of thing, but it sounded fun, so I figured I’d give it a try!
The Rabbit Saving Association is inside a building in the Zhonghe District of New Taipei City. The moment you open the door, you can see lots of devoted volunteer “rabbit moms” already on site helping the adorable bunnies!
That day I went with Burger-Loving Hero and Grandpa. Guaguaqiu had something come up last minute and couldn’t make it. Feel free to check out their profiles!
https://dcard.me/@pinkbear_9527
https://dcard.me/@candyhappy1215
https://dcard.me/@andylin30047
My Mission – Brushing the Bunnies
The job I got assigned was brushing the bunnies. At the very start, one of the rabbit moms shows you how it’s done, and as long as you just follow the steps, you basically can’t go wrong!
This is the little bunny I met for the very first time, named Matcha (such a cute name ❤️). In front of each bunny’s cage there’s a little intro with the bunny’s age and some info. For example, poor Matcha has already been on her own as a single bunny for 7 years. I really hope she can find a real home.
At first the bunnies are really scared of you. Every time you reach into the cage they dash as far away as they can. When that happens, you should keep a bit of distance first so they don’t feel so much pressure, and then slowly get closer. If they still seem scared, just wait a bit and try again! Also, to them we’re basically the size of giants, so crouching down as low as you can helps them feel less threatened!
At the very beginning I had no idea how to take care of them, so all I could do was chase the rabbits around one by one. It’s amazing how nimble they are in such a tiny space! But with a little patience they gradually warm up to you, and the moment you give their head a little brush, they flatten right out~~ Honestly so cute ❤️❤️
While one hand keeps gently rubbing their head, the other hand can brush out their head fur. It’s currently winter, which is shedding season, so one brush and a whole pile of fur comes off. It’s not good if the bunnies end up eating all that fur.
What If I Want to Donate Supplies to the Taiwan Rabbit Saving Association?
I think the biggest regret was not getting to hold a bunny. One time a rabbit mom set a bunny on me and it immediately got spooked and ran off. I really need more practice. Other than that, I had a blast getting my bunny fix. Even though at first I figured I had zero experience raising rabbits, and while I was at the association I thought I was just brushing fur and not really helping the bunnies in any meaningful way.
But later, while writing this post, I realized that even though I can’t go out on rescues like the rabbit moms do, even just brushing fur is really important for the bunnies, and it lightens the rabbit moms’ workload too. They’re just like us, ordinary office workers who happen to love rabbits, yet they quietly keep helping the bunnies. Maybe you already have a furry kid at home, or maybe you don’t have time to volunteer. If so, we can also help the bunnies with our wallets!
If you have a bunny at home and need to buy hay, dried fruit, and the like, you can shop at the Rabbit Saving Association’s official store. Any purchase helps the bunnies, and even if you don’t have a bunny yourself, you can designate your purchase to be given to the bunnies!
Here’s the association’s official website:
How Do I Volunteer?
If you’d like to come volunteer too, you need to:
- Try to arrive at the association before 2:00 PM
- Entry starts from 10:00 AM
- Groups of “5 or fewer” can just show up and help on site; groups of “more than 5” need to book in advance by email
P.S. The volunteer tasks are a little different each time. After you arrive, a staff member will explain what needs doing, which could be cleaning, brushing fur, trimming nails, and so on. Also remember to wear casual clothes and don’t put on perfume! Bunny fur is very fine, so if you’re worried about allergies you can wear a mask too! (My nose got a little allergic that day.)
Finally, let me sum up the perks and advantages of keeping a bunny that I noticed!
❤️ Bunnies aren’t noisy at all. They won’t disturb your sleep or your neighbors the way dogs and cats can!
❤️ Bunny poop is very clean and easy to clean up
❤️ Bunnies can do just fine on their own, so even if you’re busy for a while they won’t constantly pester you
Alright, thanks for reading today! If you enjoyed this post, why not give it a like and a save! If you’d like to see more posts in the future, you can hit follow too. Below are a few posts you might like, so feel free to check them out! See you next time~
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https://www.instagram.com/hikids1010/